Serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk made his name in digital marketing, but in 2021, he became a major player in web3. That year, he launched VeeFriends, an NFT collection featuring hand-drawn characters, each tied to traits he believes are essential for business success and personal growth. His book, "Twelve and a Half," also highlights these “emotional ingredients” and their role in leadership.

As both a CEO and NFT creator, Vaynerchuk expanded his brand by turning these sketches into a 10,255-item NFT collection. Some characters had multiple editions, while others were one-of-a-kind. Each VeeFriends NFT came with real-world perks, like event access and networking opportunities. Vaynerchuk’s X activity played a key role in promoting the project, reinforcing his influence in the business world.

On his website, Vaynerchuk describes the VeeFriends NFT collection as a way to build a community around positivity, storytelling, and long-term brand development.

Here’s what to know about Gary Vaynerchuk and VeeFriends.

Who is GaryVee, the visionary?

Often referred to as “GaryVee,” Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur, CEO, and the creator of VeeFriends. He built his career in digital marketing and social media and founded VaynerMedia, a major independent marketing agency that helps companies grow their online presence and achieve business success, in 2009.

Beyond marketing, Vaynerchuk has written bestselling books like "Crushing It!" and "AskGaryVee," in which he shares real-world advice on entrepreneurship, leadership, and social media strategy.

Vaynerchuk often talks about the emotional skills required for business, pointing to traits like patience and self-awareness as helpful qualities that drive long-term success.

So it's no surprise that he combined art and technology to turn his own hand-drawn emotional depictions into a community that connects NFT holders with exclusive perks, events, and networking opportunities.

VeeFriends characters promote positive personality traits

Across the VeeFriends original collection, you’ll find characters like Patient Panda, Empathy Elephant, and Pea Salad.  Each hand-drawn NFT is tied to a personality trait that GaryVee values and that, as a collection, stands in for a group of characters that can make the world a better place.

Turns out, VeeFriends fans couldn’t get enough of these affable critters: Upon its release on May 11, 2021, the first collection dropped with a number set aside for public release and a batch held by Vaynerchuk as “G.O.O” or Gary Originally Owned tokens. 

Each NFT unlocked utilities like access to VeeCon, the brand’s yearly conference, meet-and-greets with Vaynerchuk, and access to future NFT drops, including mini drops. 

For instance, in October 2021, VeeFriends introduced Spooky Vees, a mini drop with 31 unique 1-of-1 NFTs that turned VeeFriends into Halloween versions of themselves. 

A year later, VeeFriends had a visual makeover, and Vaynerchuk’s hand-drawn characters were turned into fully illustrated, colorful versions of themselves. The second collection includes 55,555 NFTs with an additional 15 new characters. While Version 2 owners do not gain access to VeeCon, they benefit from a lower price point per NFT and other utilities, like members-only drops. 

VeeFriends pushes into plushy territory 

After the initial release of the first VeeFriends collection, the entertainment company delivered its community more fun through one-of-a-kind partnerships with household brands.

For instance, UNO lovers had the chance to purchase a VeeFriends UNO card deck thanks to a partnership between VeeFriends and Mattel in 2021.

A year later, in the fall of 2022, VeeFriends partnered with Macy’s and Toys “R” Us on a collection of VeeFriends collectibles. While the plushies and vinyl collectibles are available to the general public for purchase, VeeFriends NFT owners could redeem a collectible if they owned the corresponding NFT.

In a blog post, Vaynerchuk acknowledged what a full circle moment this was for him:

“This partnership means way more to me than you could ever imagine. The thought that VeeFriends will be in Macy’s and Toys “R” Us simultaneously is incredible. I fondly remember growing up in Edison, New Jersey, walking down these stores’ aisles as a kid. We chose characters that we think embody exciting features for first-time collectors, much like some of the toys I picked up on the shelves of Toys “R” Us the first time. I can’t wait to see them in-store and on the shelves — it’s a full circle moment for me and a very big step for the company.”

VeeFriends kickstarted Vaynerchuk’s push into IRL events

During its first year, VeeFriends also took on the traditional art world with an auction at Christie's renowned art auction house. During the event, Christie’s auctioned five of Vaynerchuk’s VeeFriends drawings, which ultimately sold for $1.2 million. 

With the release of the VeeFriends collections and their accompanying minidrops, VeeFriends also hosts VeeCon, a multi-day annual conference. 

All VeeFriends Series 1 NFT owners could use their NFT as a “ticket” to VeeCon through 2024. The conference included panel discussions and keynote presentations from speakers like Gary himself, actors, entrepreneurs, and digital artists.

Looking ahead, VeeFriends will likely keep its foot on the gas pedal as it continues to grow the web3 brand. In July 2024, VeeFriends released its first children’s book, “Meet Me In The Middle,” featuring Patient Pig and Eager Eagle.