Pepsi, a brand of Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo, announces the brand’s first-ever foray into the innovative and evolving world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with the Pepsi Mic Drop genesis NFT collection. Anchored in the brand’s roots in music, Pepsi is creating 1,893 (to mark the year Pepsi was born) unique generative-style NFTs that will go live on the Ethereum blockchain at noon ET Friday, Dec. 10, free for users (outside of gas fees).

The exclusive generative traits of the Pepsi Mic Drop genesis NFT collection, generated randomly by an algorithm so each NFT is totally unique and different, pay homage to the brand’s storied history in music and the suite of Pepsi flavors that have captivated consumers for decades, it says. The Pepsi Mic Drop NFTs will be grounded in variations of a microphone visual and inspired by iconic Pepsi flavors including classic blue Pepsi, silver Diet Pepsi, red Pepsi Wild Cherry, black Pepsi Zero Sugar ― even fan-favorite Crystal Pepsi and many more.

“Pepsi has always been a brand with a strong heritage in music and pop culture, so it’s only fitting for us to bring that legacy into the new world of NFTs with a 'mic drop' of epic proportions,” said Todd Kaplan, vice president of marketing at Pepsi, in a statement. “We created the Pepsi Mic Drop genesis NFT collection for our fans, putting their interests and needs at the forefront by ensuring the NFTs are all free of charge and presented equitably as an inclusive and accessible opportunity for anyone to experience the exciting world of NFTs. This collectible series of microphones is not only inspired by our history, but also represents the scale and scope of how accessible we see this space becoming in the future.”

Pepsi is implementing a waitlist process at the start of the user experience to ensure an equitable experience for consumers with more manageable gas fees and secure participation. The Pepsi Mic Drop wallet waitlist opens at noon ET on Friday, Dec. 10 on micdrop.pepsi.com. From there:

•    At 12:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 14, consumers who have been waitlist-approved will be able to mint one of 1,843 Pepsi Mic Drop NFTs free of charge (not including Ethereum gas fees). Consumers should stay tuned as the 50 remaining NFTs will be held for other exciting initiatives in the near future.

•    Once a consumer is verified, the token will be minted and directly sent to their wallet.

•    Consumers will then be able to identify their exact Pepsi Mic Drop NFT and are welcome to list on OpenSea or any other third-party platform at any point by satisfying the selected platform's terms of service.

•    In keeping with the Pepsi brand’s thought leadership in emerging marketing practices, Pepsi is implementing a carbon offset program for the launch of the Pepsi Mic Drop NFT to ensure a net carbon footprint of zero.

The Pepsi Mic Drop NFT collection was designed by and created with VaynerNFT, a consultancy under the umbrella of the VaynerX holding company.