A tribe with a vibe

Krause House aims to revolutionize NBA team ownership by creating a community-driven, decentralized model that empowers fans and enthusiasts to actively participate in decision-making through blockchain technology and decentralized governance. They take their name from Jerry Krause, the General Manager of the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan era, who famously said, “…players and coaches don’t win championships, organizations win championships.” Inspired by this philosophy, Krause House is an organization that intends to win. Their first recruit? Applied arts.

We began by diving into the metaverse with subsets of Krause House's 6,000+ members to understand their organization and collaboratively establish a game plan to help them win. After personalizing our avatars, we engaged in serious brand building conversations with our new partners - BigBully, Dluxe, Jonezin, Dbag, Flex, Commodore (no doxing). Together we formed a value proposition that would underpin the organization and inspire the design of an audacious, original brand.

To shape the visual direction, we went back in time, sourcing inspiration from 1990s athletics and fashion, an era defined by Jerry Krause’s Bulls. To illustrate the brand's beliefs and values, we collaborated with Italian designer Alessandro Strickner, who operates under the moniker “Overglow” and is renowned for his surrealistic synthwave aesthetic. The result? A bold new identity that reflects an organization working relentlessly to upend traditional sports franchise ownership. We followed this with a comprehensive brand guidelines document, empowering the Krause House membership to launch the brand cohesively across channels.

Hype, hype, hype: As we finalized the brand guidelines, Krause House presented us with a new challenge, hype Krause House at NFT.NYC, the premier global gathering of the NFT community. The plan? A 3v3 basketball tournament that would define what an IRL Krause House experience could be.

We transformed the ~10,000 sq. ft. Classic Car Club of Manhattan into a vibrant playground, applying the new brand identity within a tight 12-week timeline and budget. As the centerpiece, a nearly full-sized basketball court showcased artwork from 24 renowned artists. We minted each section of the court as an NFT, giving owners the corresponding physical court piece—a pioneering fusion of digital and IRL art.

Our event design covered every detail, on and off the court. On-court we designed custom jerseys, dunk contest signage, the digital scoreboard, and the tournament trophy. Off-court we designed the crew uniforms, the VIP experience on the Hudson River patio, event lanyards, sticker packs, NFT court packaging, POAP’s, and selfie-worthy installations.

Towering over it all was a massive 44’ x 24’ Krause House logo, proudly displayed behind the DJ, amplifying the energy and excitement.

Our work with Krause House resulted in the world’s first physical NFT basketball court. The success of the rebrand and the buzz we generated at NFT.NYC helped Krause House to grow their membership and acquire an ownership stake in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league. And their mission to buy an NBA team? Still determinably in their sights.

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photos: Tommy Greene, @ballislife, Crabtree