Ape Water Powered by ApeCoin

Proposal Name: Ape Water Powered by ApeCoin

Proposal Category: Ecosystem Fund Allocation

Abstract

Ape Beverages is a distribution vehicle for ApeCoin into the mass market at the most culturally relevant IRL experiences in the United States; including concerts, festivals, conferences, events and more.

We are the first water + technology beverage company utilizing a smart can. Enabling this new mass branding tool, we advertise our partners to propagate their company’s messaging.

We do this through visuals on the actual can, gameplay activations, and consumer education.

This “smart can” initiative is designed to be the number one mass awareness tool through our core outreach which includes online subscription, IRL premiere events, metaverses, and in the field teams for $3.75 million dollars.

Motivation

Events, organizations, and individuals desire a sustainable non-plastic solution for single use water.

Ape Beverages intends to be the preferred beverage of choice for the entire Web3 community and beyond. Offering programs for home, office, and events through custom branded programs and licensed IP.

Ape Beverages 16 oz. aluminum “smart can” allows for seamless distribution of gameplay, and education via our unique QR codes. This is activated through multi-chain and wallet agnostic solutions onboarding the masses with ease.

The smart can’s “Play2Earn” features allow for customer retention programs and gamification. ApeCoin will be the token of choice; cross pollinating ApeCoin beyond the Yuga labs ecosystem into everyday life.

Rationale

Ape Beverages and the APE community are one in the same. The can is a grandiose brand awareness and distribution tool to elevate the APE community, cryptocurrency ecosystem, and Web3 collective.

Ape Water is the only beverage for the Web3 space and will take over as the beverage of choice for essentially all Web3 events and home offices.

Ape Water’s “Smart Can” technology allows for our beverage to break into markets such as sporting events, festivals, and concerts. Ape Water powered by ApeCoin will be seen at hundreds of live events. Only will the attendees be able to access the unique experiences on the can, by going through ApeCoin branded features.

Millions of bottled water is handed out each year at live events in the US. We plan to eradicate plastic consumption, by offering an infinitely more sustainable solution with the highest quality water. All while simultaneously promoting ApeCoin through interactive experiences off the can.

What Ape Beverages has already done:

  • Raised capitol on a 15m pre-seed SAFE NOTE
  • Secured a water source from one of the worlds best natural springs (Mt. Shasta, CA)
  • Partnered with a top 5 aluminum supplier in the United States
  • Manufactured over 200K cans
  • Established a full time team of subject matter specialist and advisors which includes former senior executives from Anheuser Busch & Redbull
  • Secured distribution at some of the most noteworthy events, nightclubs and conferences in the United States
  • Partnered with the Food Fighters Universe (Bored & Hungry, Bored Taco) distributor in Korea to distribute Ape Water in South East Asia
  • Partnered with “Clean Miami Beach” non-profit organization for an Art Basel activation

The Founders:

Itai Leffler: Has launched 23 mass retail brands with some of the biggest celebrities in the world ranging from Kendel Jenner’s “Moon Oral Care” to Millie Bobby Brown’s “Florence”. His brands have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and are distributed at some of the United States biggest retailers including Target, and Walmart to name a few.

Andrew Bagg: Was a trailblazing DJ in the early 2000s under the name “DJ Cobra” performing with over 100 gold and platinum recording artists, headlined over 3,000 shows and was a fixture as a go to DJ for some of the most exclusive red carpet events. He is also a founder of Warwick nightclub in Los Angeles which every major celebrity, athlete and influencer has frequented.

Specifications:

The below outlines the key activations that we can create for the ApeCoin partnership:

The Tech Stack + Events

Ape Beverages creates infinite opportunities IRL through the “smart can” interactive technology. When a 1 of 1 dynamic can is scanned, it instantly captures user data while simultaneously activating a time-released geo-fenced program. The geo-fenced program includes play to earn games, air dropped NFT rewards, loyalty tracking, and AR experiences to name a few.

Smart cans:

  • scanned IRL creating real-time analytics. Visual heat mapping, geo-fencing and traditional engagement data allows for robust engagement and data.

  • Has the ability to act as virtual tickets. They are Web3 virtual wallets that can store ticketing information for general admission, VIP sections, or anything in between. The can also can act as a vehicle for “treasure hunts” at IRL events that unlock rewards such as tickets, air drops, merch, etc.

Integrating with leading social media platforms APIs, blockchain smart contracts, and cloud technology ecosystems the smart can is the bridge between IRL experiences and all things Web2 / Web3.

PROOF OF CONCEPT - MVP

  • The Smart Can MVP is an AR experience basketball game to be tested at American NBA Stadiums and more.

.

Technology/Development:

AR Development

  • Games activate from the cans with AR tech running off the blockchain; making Web3 interactions seamless for mass engagements.

Estimated cost: $500 - 700K - 800 hours

Data capture:

  • User data capture with an AWS backend and Tableau for business intelligence. This will provide a new class of touch points facilitated by smart can technology.

Estimated cost: $500k - $1M - 1280 hours

General technology stack

  • An AWS cloud stack for real-time gaming with many concurrent users, data capture, and business intelligence via Tableau. Tableau integrates with third-party vendor APIs of leading social media platforms, and seamless bidirectional Web3 integrations facilitated by familiar single sign-on logins.
  • A Solidity stack of smart contracts can be used in self-custody or provisionary wallets to ensure mass adoption.
  • A library of Unity games to take advantage of best-in-class AR game development technology with a broad market of developers.

Estimated cost: $500k - 800 hours

Total Estimated cost: $2M - 2880 hours

Utility With Tokens:

In addition to live experiences, Ape Beverages is the world’s first water company to allow consumers to purchase yearly water subscriptions via ApeCoin, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and fiat currencies.

  • Discounts are offered for purchases made with ApeCoin.
  • A percentage of ApeCoin will remain on the Ape Beverages’ ledger.
  • A percentage of ApeCoin will be used for positive change; funding communities with water issues, through existing nonprofits to manage the distribution.
  • ApeCoin merchandise will be sold online and at physical events creating new utility for ApeCoin. 50% of gross profit from ApeCoin merchandise goes to the ApeCoin Community.

Metarverse IRL convergence:

  • Various Metaverses have already offered Ape Beverages real-estate to develop water stores for their users.

  • The Metaverse stores will allow for water to be purchased and delivered IRL as well as other activations.

  • Ape Beverages has trademarked the slogan “Quench Your MetaThirst” and intends on being the branded water partner at all Metaverse large format events IRL and in their digital spaces.

  • ApeCoin Cans will be part of our metaverse store activations with added branding and education.

Events:

  • Ape Beverages is building field teams to distribute cans at key tastemaker events throughout the United States to create added brand awareness and educate customers about the product and ApeCoin.
  • The photo to the right was captured at Ape Beverages’ first drop event where a limited supply of Ape Water was sold on September 22nd, 2022.

Charity/Give Back

  • Ape Water will allocate 5% of ApeCoin on its ledger to do good, through partnerships such as Kryp.to with blockchain philanthropy technology, with NGOs / Nonprofits; supporting water or environmental solutions. I.E: Send safe drinking water to the residence recovering from Hurricane Ian in Florida.

Public Relations

  • Public relations, branding agencies, and brand ambassadors will be utilized to advocate stories across social media, editorials, and mass media educating how ApeCoin together with Ape Beverages are supporting communities by providing water resources.

Timeline:

Phase 1: Nov/Dec 2022

Starting at Art Basel, Ape Beverages is in talks to be the water sponsor at multiple conferences and events by supplying Ape Water cans in-kind (For free).

If the timing works with the review process, Ape Beverages can re-point our existing QR code on the can and direct to ApeCoin branded assets.

Ape Beverages will leverage 50,000 cans of inventory for targeted distribution. Here is a list of current events that we can activate:

  1. DCentral
  2. Metaverse Miami
  3. Wonderfair
  4. BitBazel @ Scope
  5. Epic Pool Parties @ The Sagamore South Beach Hotel
  6. Crypties “Academy Awards” for the NFT community
  7. Clean Miami Beach nonprofit
  8. Art with Me

Nightclubs, events, conventions, and conferences will happily distribute Ape Water at their event creating a “trojan horse” to educate the market on ApeCoin.

Phase 2: Jan/Feb 2023

In real life activations

  • Ape Beverages will produce 1M custom ApeCoin x Ape Water co-branded cans
  • Ape Beverages will create a field team per region (similar to RedBull) for national distribution - what better way to get your brand in front of the masses.

Each can offers multiple ApeCoin engagement opportunities:

Games: Play off the QR code is only limited to imagination…

  • AR games
  • Web2 games
  • Web3 games
  • Prizes: “Drink2Earn” merchandise and or digital gifts with QR gameplay

Events: Partner with lRL events, as the American-made, sustainable water vendor of choice.

  • Web3 events
  • Crypto Conferences
  • Music festivals
  • Sporting arenas
  • Cultural festivals
  • Etc.

Key Terms:

  1. Smart Can”: the newest way to drive demand and raising awareness - leveraging QR codes on the can to create deeper connection to ApeCoin - which serves as two fold:
  • Consumer engagement: airdrop an NFT, activate an AR Game, point to a web2 site, etc.
  • Consumer information: Data Capture for measuring KPIs, customer details, heat mapping, engagement time, etc.
  1. Field Teams: Utilize paid promotional staff to engage with the community at large IRL events and busy foot traffic locations.

  2. Drink2Earn: Rewards based system that encourages game play.

  3. In-Kind: Providing water for free to be given away at events, conferences, stadiums, etc.

  4. NGOs: a nonprofit organization that operates independently of any government, typically one whose purpose is to address a social or political issue.

Steps to Implement:

  1. Deliver / Manage & Distribute 50,000 existing inventory of cans at Art Basel for out-reach and distribution: $85,000

  2. Can production + management, logistics / distribution costs : dependant on volume:

1M cans = $750,000

  1. Merchandise:

Estimated $50,000 on clothing and unique merchandise to be distributed.

  1. Staffing:

  2. we have an existing team of five paid by Ape Water - so not funded by ApeCoin DAO.

  3. Hire a full time ApeCoin DAO National experiential branding director at an estimated cost of $100K salary + benefits

  4. Hire four full-time experiential branding assistants (regional) $80K salary + benefits

  5. Field Teams - estimated onboarding 100+ paying hourly rates of $20p/h for 3hr blocks through the year + cargo truck, equipment, and ancillary fees; total $245,000

  6. Technology/Development:

  7. AR Development: $500 - 700K

  8. Data capture: $500k - $1M

  9. General technology stack: 500K

Timeline:

2022: Initial activation - launch with ApeCoin at Art Basel, 50,000 cans December 2022 using existing Ape Water Cans - with QR code - direct link to ApeCoin.

2023: Main roll out of 1M Custom ApeCoin co-branded cans to be distributed through music festivals, sporting events, and cultural festivities with field teams handing out water for their events.

Examples of Distribution:

Web3 Conferences: NFT LA, Bitcoin conference, Dcentral, NFT NYC, Token2049

Culture / Collectables Conferences: Comicon, Complexcon, Sneakercon

Gaming Conferences: E3

Live Event Spaces: Crypto.com, Madison Square Garden, Sofi Stadium, FTX Arena

Festivals: Coachella, EDC, Lollapalooza, Ultra, TomorrowWorld

Private Social Clubs: Soho House etc…

Offices: Yuga, Opensea, Coinbase, Binance, Crypto.com, Gemini

Overall Cost:

$3,750,000

I am so excited for ApeWater. Now if I could just order some…

3 Likes

Thanks so much for your proposal! I listened to the recordiing of your Twitter spaces and really love what Ape Water is trying to do! I’m a big believer in reducing the amount of plastic being used.

I do have some concerns and questions though. There are a lot of them, but they come from a place of looking out for the community.

My major concern is regarding potential regulations. The DAO was set up to give out grants to avoid being considered an investment DAO. As I’m sure you’re aware, it was just announced that the SEC is investigating whether ApeCoin is a security. When determining whether something is a security or not, they use the Howey Test. There are four prongs, all of which must be satisfied. They are an (1) investment of money (2) in a common enterprise (3) with a reasonable expectation of profits (4) to be derived from the efforts of others
https://www.sec.gov/corpfin/framework-investment-contract-analysis-digital-assets
I’m concerned that what you are trying to do might satisfy the last two prongs. Have you sought out legal advice regarding this?

What do you do with user data? How are your user’s privacy protected? Are people protected from geo-fence warrants? Do you sell user data to third parties? Why should the DAO fund data capture?

What percentage will remain on the ledger?

Who will be designing the merch? Will the community have any input on the design and type of merch?

The way the DAO is set up, it is unable to accept profits. This is to avoid to becoming an investment DAO. How will the gross profits be going to the ApeCoin Community?

Could you explain more about where the QR code will be pointed? By ApeCoin branded assets, do you mean merch for sale?

Do the members of the DAO get a say on the branding?

During the Twitter spaces, someone said that Ape water was going to be used to help educate the mass market on what ApeCoin is.
Do you have materials and resources for them to learn more once they hear about ApeCoin and/or the DAO?

Once again, I’d like to say that I really like what you’re trying to do with Ape Water. I’m just not sure that it would be in the DAO’s best interest to support this AIP, especially when it might make the DAO look like an investment DAO in the eyes of the regulators.

8 Likes

Hey @ApeBeverages ,

Great job on the detailed proposal :clap:t4:

As @adventurousape has eloquently stated, totally support the mission of reducing the number of plastic bottles and promoting sustainability♻️.

As a brand marketer just wanna say I love Experiential Marketing Campaigns - and hope to see ApeWater in all our ApeCoin DAO IRL Events (link to survey at eventsbyapecoin.xyz) :wink:


That said, I have additional questions, mostly around the ask from the ApeCoin DAO and the precedent this may set. I trust you will take on these questions in the spirit intended, which is pretty much always driven by what is best for the DAO:

Funding

  • As a startup, you’ve raised around $1m (of $1.5m) and one imagines you’ve given up some equity - I wonder if there is a legal path of getting on the Cap Table given such a major infusion of cash from ApeCoinDAO?
  • Can you share the Pitch Deck used to sign-up investors, at least the slide with the summary of your pro-formas? It’d be good to see what kind of revenues and unit sales you’re expecting in the first year, in relation to the 1m cans the DAO is buying
  • Was procuring a $3.5m Grant for Marketing always part of the Business Plan and will you still create a Field Team if this AIP is not approved?

Benefits to the DAO

  • Might it be beneficial to streamline this proposal?
  • Instead of asking for the entire $3.5m upfront for a list of expenses - custom cans, custom merch, dedicated director, field team, QR/Tech Stack, etc – have you given thought to starting with the $750,000 purchase order for 1m Custom Cans?
  • (Keep in mind, the DAO has not yet set budgets for 2023, including for Marketing purposes)

Summary

To be clear, I want the DAO to collab with ApeBeverage and for ApeCoin Cans of ApeWater to be present in IRL Events across our ecosystem.

Just not 100% onboard the way the proposal is currently.

Hopefully your answers to our questions will bring clarity and that the community will learn from these conversations. Thanks in advance.

SSP✌🏽

8 Likes

Hi @ApeBeverages,

Your topic will be automatically closing in ~24 hours. Are you content with the feedback received, or do you wish to extend community discussion for a further 7 days?

If we do not hear from you within 48 hours after your topic closes, your topic will be moved straight to the AIP Draft process.

We look forward to hearing from you.

- river

1 Like

Thank you for your proposal!! I wanted to drop in and include a link to the Twitter spaces for others to listen to:

I had a lot of questions and concerns in the same spirit as @ssp1111 & @adventurousape but it seems they mostly covered it all. I’m looking forward to your answers and further collaboration with our community. Again, thank you!! I’m very supportive overall of what’s being discussed here.

:raised_hands:

7 Likes

Hi @adventurousape we appreciate your thoughtful questions as it will help strengthen and refine the Ape Water proposal.

In respect to legal we have two established law firms representing Ape Beverages who are experts in SEC regulation. Because our proposal is a brand awareness campaign there is no issues in respect to SEC.

User data is protected on AWS severs (AMAZON). Our privacy and guidelines are held to the same professional standards as Apple: For government and law enforcement information requests, Ape Water complies with the laws pertaining to global entities that control our data and we provide details as legally required.

The date is used for loyalty programs ie. (get a free Ape Fest T-Shirt if you experience the 5 Ape Coin AR instillations on site at “Ape Fest”. We also use macro data insights of IRL experiences about the audience to optimize spend and programs. Example, 35% of the last years guests return the following year for Web3 conf XYZ who have

Data capture always happening when we use a smart device and the APE DAO being able to capture users IRL is critical for any level of mass adoption. We capture the phone the number, time and location while using our web2 or App so the data is minimal by design.

No more then 5% of Ape Coin will be stored on our ledger from our own direct transactions with customers. Will go through a review period every 12 months to revaluate company assets.

Ape Coin related merch will be designed in-house and we will allow 3rd party submissions. We will engage with the community every step of the way for feedback.

We currently have an Alpha list of over 30 OG Apes who provide valuable input.

The 50% of gross profit from ApeCoin Merch will be distributed however the ApeCoin DAO chooses. Charity or otherwise.

The QR Code is dynamic and can be pointed to whatever the Ape COIN Dao community decides to maximize brand awareness.

The Ape Water Can at IRL events in the distribution tool to help educate. The materials and resources will be created collaboratively with the Ape DAO and Ape Beverages team.

6 Likes

Hi @ssp1111 ,

Thanks for the questions and support of our mission to promote sustainability and water resources for future generations.

In order to not violate SEC laws, ApeCoin DAO can only participate in a grant capacity. For individual investment inquiries please DM us on Twitter or email Hello@Apebeverages.com for more info.

All beverage brands need to invest heavy in marketing and field teams to be competitive in market. APE DAO is most missioned aligned so it makes sense to spread awareness and mass adoption of the APE Token and the DAO’s mission.

Ape Dao is in first position to leverage awareness of their mission and mass adoption of their token through the distribution of Ape Water.

If Ape DAO passes we will look to other partners for a similar marketing activation.

Because every application takes months and we have a clear road map and vendors to activate the campaign our advisors who are also DAO members felt a full comprehensive campaign was best practice. Just purchasing custom cans and not activating them costs money to store and move and without the remaining distribution system in place will create a bottle neck with the application process and unnecessary waste of resources.

Please let us know what further areas you would like to clarify as we are confident this will be the most robust North American branding campaign to the mass market target demo.

4 Likes

This topic was automatically closed after 7 days. New replies are no longer allowed.

Thank you @ApeBeverages for your ideas and the ApeCoin DAO community for the thoughtful discussions. A moderator will get in touch with the author to draft the AIP in the appropriate template. Once the AIP is drafted and meets all the DAO-approved guidelines, the proposal will be posted on Snapshot for live official voting at: Snapshot

Follow this Topic as further updates will be posted here in the comments. @ApeBeverages please see your messages for the next steps.

- river

5 Likes

Hi ApeCoin DAO Community,

This Topic has been rejected based on the DAO-approved guidelines due to no response in the last 30 days. The Topic may be submitted again by any user and upon approval, will be open for 7 days for community discussions.

This Topic will move and remain in the Withdrawn AIPs category.

-Escape

1 Like