EXCLUSIVE: Gary Vee Writing First Children’s Book, VeeFriends Continuing To Build Characters, IP — ‘This Isn’t Just About Storytelling’
By Benzinga
Serial Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk launched entertainment company VeeFriends in 2021. Known for its collections of NFTs, VeeFriends has partnered with multiple companies and continues to grow its brand awareness for the company Vaynerchuk once called his Disney.
What Happened: Vaynerchuk, also known as Gary Vee, is the creator of VeeFriends, a collection of over 200 characters that were part of two NFT collections in May 2021 and April 2022. Vee is also a bestselling author of several books.
Vee announced his first children’s book deal Tuesday, a partnership with HarperCollins Publishers, a unit of News Corporation (NASDAQ:NWS) (NASDAQ:NWSA).
The initial picture book in the series, titled “Meet Me in the Middle,” prominently features the VeeFriends characters Eager Eagle and Patient Pig. The two-sided, flip-the-book-around story will be published on July 16, 2024.
Each of the 283 VeeFriends characters were created and drawn by Vee and symbolize traits the entrepreneur believes are keys to success and happiness. The two sides to “Meet Me in the Middle” show different points of view, both from Eager Eagle and Patient Pig.
“I have been thinking about these characters and how to bring their traits and characteristics to the world for years,” Vee said. “I am incredibly excited to introduce Eager Eagle and Patient Pig to new generations through this VeeFriends book.”
Vee said the new book “isn’t just about storytelling.”
“It’s about injecting a dose of patience and eagerness into the hearts of the newest generation. There’s balance in meeting in the middle.”
Related Link: VeeFriends Teams Up With Mattel To Bring Skeletor And NFT Character To Life
Why It’s Important: The publishing deal with HarperCollins continues a string of partnerships VeeFriends has announced over the years. The Vee-created entertainment company has partnered with companies like Fanatics, Toys “R” Us, Mattel Inc, Crocs, Reebok and more.
The new book from Vee could expand the target audience of VeeFriends.
“The target audience for ‘Meet Me in the Middle’ are 4-8 year-old readers, their parents, and the VeeFriends community,” VeeFriends President Andy Krainak told Benzinga. “Meet Me in the Middle gives parents and educators a way to talk to kids about empathy, problem solving, and compromise, which are the essential keys to success at any age.”
With 283 VeeFriends characters and the new publishing deal, it seems natural to wonder if there could be more VeeFriends themed books coming in the future.
“We should expect more stories from VeeFriends and the VeeFriends characters in all relevant mediums, digitally and physically, in the future,” Krainak added.
One of the latest ways VeeFriends has expanded with storytelling and character evolution is a new daily comic from artist D.J. Coffman.
“Launching daily comics will bolster our character narratives, our brand storytelling, and fan engagement. D.J. Coffman is an incredibly talented artist, and we’re excited to have him join the team.”
Krainak said to stay tuned to the VeeFriends social media accounts to see a new comic strip every day.
VeeFriends had a busy 2023 full of company announcements and partnership. Asked about what’s in store for 2024, Krainak offered up the following.
“In 2024, we’re continuing to build our characters and IP across different mediums through content, brand partnerships, comics, collectibles and trading cards.”
VeeFriends Series 1 NFTs have a floor price of 1.9 Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), or around $4,441 at the time of writing. VeeFriends Series 2 NFTs have a floor price of 0.12 Ethereum, or around $269 at the time of writing.
Watch Benzinga’s interview with Vee at VeeCon 2023 below.
Photo: VeeFriends
