Nounworks is a brand building engine for Nouns.

It is a physical goods / IRL IP and brand development experiment.

Nounworks acts as a support layer for Nounish builders and the community.

Nounworks is powered by Bigshot.WTF, a creative studio with over 20 years of experience building out consumer products and experiences for global brands, entertainment studios and artists.The goal has always been expanding and growing the Nouns brand by supporting our global community. This goal is achieved through the development of physical lifestyle products, activations, global partnership support, unique art and storytelling.Some of our work to bolster the DAO:

• Our ongoing NOUNWORKS deck
• Past events and activations
• Nounworks sizzle reel
• Social proof via #noggleseverywhere
• SnapChat filters here & here

THE PROBLEM:

NOUNS is one of the most unique, interesting, and exceptional projects to come out of the web3 space. While the things we have funded and people that we inspired are incredible, we as a community have very little exposure to the world outside of web3.

We have failed to capture the imaginations of the world simply because we're not getting our stories, projects and message out there in the right ways.

OUR GOALS:

Our goal is to build on the work that we have been doing with Nouns, Nounworks and Nounish Friends for the past 5 years. The Nouns brand is poised to expand out of Web3 constraints with our careful planning and execution.

We will cultivate the Nouns brand into a quirky, family-friendly, easily recognizable positive lifestyle brand - think Sesame Street or Yo Gabba Gabba - with a mix of humor, art and quirky weird fun.

We will achieve this by leaning into our unique experience and our deep connections in the entertainment and licensing spaces.

In parallel, we will be supporting and engaging with other builders and aligned Nounish communities. This will create new engagement with new audiences and attract more new holders and active builders.

OUR PLAN:

Our plan is to push the Nouns IP to specialty retail, gaming and entertainment spaces and beyond. We also will continue our generous and robust support of all of our builders, proposers and creators for events strategic partnerships and global activations with products, creative assets and design support where feasable or requested.

THE BUILDING BLOCKS:

Physical goods and useful practical assets: High quality collectibles, plush, toys, stationary, IRL events and activations are the fastest way to introduce Nouns to a mainstream, family-friendly audience the same way that PopMart, Funko, and Pudgy Penguins built theirs. Product-first brands provide unique tangible touch points that help connect people to the brand. Simply having people ask "What are those?" and "where is this from?" ends up elevating Nouns brand recognition.

Storytelling and entertainment, tools and content: We are building out high quality digital and physical assets and relationships that will allow us to plug NOUNworks into opportunites in gaming, publishing and other forms of entertainment. This proposal will allow us to build out the tools needed to launch a global entertainment-based IP and build out a licensing portfolio that will generate revenue and future opportunities.

Infrastructure: When we establish an infrastructure that supports builders and the development of the Nouns IP as a whole, we all benefit.

THE WAR CHEST:

By having a creative, production, operations and distribution budget for our products, we will be able to build on and share the project freely without the usual friction. We will be able to quick strike on any opportunities that pop up, as well as offer help to others that may need it.

We will be able to ship products all over the world to Nounish builders, as well as provide consistently branded assets and creative help as needed.

Those creators can then focus more on building and creating content in the most Nounish ways possible, while staying on-brand. They supplement their own creativity with recognizable Nouns branding and merch.

This strategy adds value by giving tools to Nounish builders and facilitating memorable activations while helping to accelerate the prolifitation of the brand for everyone.

THE ASK:

$300,000 (for an 8–12 month program)

DELIVERABLES:

Below are the essential aspects of building a brand that incorporates physical products.

Workstream & Estimated Budgets:

Total ask $300K Loose breakdown of numbers:

• Brand / style guide & digital assets: $80K
• Product development & manufacturing: $100K
• Warehousing, logistics & distribution: $50K
• Licensing, retail, events, trade shows: $35K
• Operations, back end & CX: $35K
• Social media and marketing
• Community support and engagement on props as needed
• CC0 assets and product files
• Nounworks shop with gated pricing and rev share and links to other builder shops

Above numbers are estimates; the program needs flexibility to move budget toward opportunities as they arise.

Benefits for the Community:

• Branded, high-quality products available to all builders for events and activations around the world at no cost.
• Cohesive & professional shareable assets that are easy to use and utilize (2D graphics and printable assets, 3D media and assets for gaming, entertainment and 3D printing)
• Comprehensive style guide to help present and place product at retail and media partners
• Shipping and logistics support for builders and partners.
• Event support, branding assistance, custom product and assets to make each event unique.
• Licensing / retail facilitation. Exploring real opportunities to support other builders with their dreams

SUCCESS METRICS

Return to the DAO:

We propose a 5% royalty on all Nouns-related licensing deals and product sales generated through this program, paid back to the DAO. This includes 5% from any NFT/Digital collectibles and secondary sales.

All physical products will be made available to Nounish builders at no cost for their own activations — this program supplies the infrastructure so builders don't have to.

Royalties structured based on net revenue generated per year, for a period of 2 years from the date of funding. Royalties can be revisited and renegotiated before the period expires.

How It Works:

Non-Zero Start: We have many existing relationships in place with publishers and with platforms like Veve digital collectibles. We have a licensing agent ready who represents Claynosaurs, Rokimoto and Yo Gabba Gabba - they are ready to take Nounish products and the brand to specialty and mass retail, and international manufacturing and distibution partners. Activating this program pushes work that is already in motion rather than starting from zero.

First: The moment the proposal passes, we go to work on the style guide development for licensing and media opportunities. The style guide and digital assets are built first to support partner/ licensing conversations already underway. This is a key step to any growth opportunities.

The budget covers this product development, manufacturing, logistics, and distribution to active and incoming builders.

Second: We begin development and sampling of a new Nouns blindbox plush collection, a medium size plush and larger collectible huggable soft sculptures. We will have a round of voting for the plush head traits within the community.

We will start planning a sofubi (soft vinyl toy) release in Japan to build on the excitement of the show at Loft (yes, people are still excited about more Nouns in Japan!)

Pilot and sample runs of physical goods are produced in small batches to test the market before any larger commitment.

Early development of blind box plush:

On demand manufacturing explorations like the Nounish Slides in the works:

PROBLEM SOLVING:

1. Nouns has strong brand recognition and impeccable reputation inside Web3, but almost none outside it. We hope to change that. This prop aims to bolster curiousity, discovery and brand recognition with the larger audience outside of web3, and introduce them to Nouns in familiar ways.
2. If you look at the type of engagement that Pudgy Penguins, Claynosaurs, Quack and Chimpers are doing on socials and IRL, you can clearly see the pathway to success. We are close to these teams, and even work directly with some of them and plan to engage with them for collaborations and co-branded opportunities.
3. There are many builders, but no real unified system for merch, manufacturing, style guides, shipping, licensing, or physical activations. Nounworks will become that system.
4. While Nouns as a whole is decentralized, and the use of a uniform style is not mandatory, some builders have limited artistic skills. Builders may want to utilize great existing art, swag and merch options instead of finding resources to make their own. This would make projects feel more professional, without any heavy lifting.

WE ARE POISED FOR GREATNESS

Nouns is a perfect collaborative platform for brands and partnerships.

The easy to recognize Nouns style and positive message combine to make Nouns ripe for partnerships. Co-branding and collaborations can help spread the Nouns message of good will around the world more effectively than building the brand solo.

We have already collaborated with brands across industries and we will aim bigger with each potential co-branded opportunity.

We want to explore the opportunity to incorporate Nounish energy into our newest IP, Here There Bear: the NOUNISH EXPLORER program will visit people, places and things within our global community, here there & everywhere.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?

After 12 months, we expect to have new product pitched and placed at retail throughout Japan and the rest of Asia through a combination of Golden Sombrero licensing and our many contacts on the ground in Asia.

Focus is first on Yamashiroya and Loft in Japan to continue to build momentum and brand awareness.

We'd be aiming for conversations with select retail partners in the US, such as Barnes and Noble and BoxLunch.

More elements of the inital year:

• licensing opportunities with better equipped & aligned manufacturers that have infrastructure and reach
• active social channels pushing NOUNish Friends and other content
• builders supported
• products shipped
• activations supported
• more countries reached

This is the all-encompassing pathway to brand sustainability, executed through partnerships, licensing and co-branded collaborations, with royalties and funds flowing back into the DAO.

This prop lays the groundwork for the best path forward for Nouns.