Friday, October 24, 2008

Wear the Cause

There is a gem of an online store called Wear the Cause. Here is what they are about...

"Wear The Cause is clothing that raises awareness. Our fashionable clothing contains cause related substance within the imagery. Each shirt represents a different cause, health, animal rights, education, society, and the environment. Our mission is to educate and entertain the world, and a percentage of proceeds will donate to charities. Wearthecause.com is our main home for shopping our store, learning about causes, discovering artists, and being part of the team. Our apparel is available for men, women, and children. We have short sleeve, and long sleeve graphic T-shirts, tanks, camisoles, hoody's, collards, as well as baby clothes. On our cause page you can learn about current issues occurring around the world, and link to charity sites to help get involved. Our cause clothing is created from artist online submissions. Artist involved get a bio of themselves and there art, with a link to their website....Join our community and support a unique blend of fashionable clothing, with cause related substance, plus an online artist collective, as well as charity involvement. Through our clothing we can create a visual spread of cause related information to viewers, with hopes of sparking interest, and raising awareness. We need artist to submit their cause related designs. So shop, learn, create, spread, and love cause."

How cool is this! Wear the Cause has creatively and successfully blended cause awareness, artists with a desire to share their message and work, and attire that is so very hip. I know what I want for Christmas! You?

Monday, October 13, 2008

Take the Cue from this Pink Pool Stick


Yesterday was a rainy, damp Sunday. It was perfect for staying indoors, watching t.v., which I rarely do. As I flipped through the stations, I landed on an exhibition billiard show. I think it was America vs. Europe. Top men and women professional billiards playing for, well I don't know it could have been a title or some high stake. Either way, I was fascinated at the talent of the players and the techniques they used. I mean, it was as if, their mind directed the 8 ball to go in a particular direction.

The entire tournament was fascinating and I was stunned at the professionalism and exemplary talent among the women billiard players. I've never seen women play professional pool before. Plus, the outfits the women wore were really fabulous. They looked super sheik. And to think, I always thought of pool as the pass time for guys to hang out with buddies in basements across America. To my surprise.

Then today, I came across an ad for a pink cue stick made by Viper. Part of the proceeds go to The Breast Cancer Foundation. So, to the ladies out there that are thinking pool can be your sport, this cue stick is for you. Now what I am not able to tell you specifically, is which breast cancer foundation they are supporting. There is the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, The American Breast Cancer Foundation and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Nevertheless, the point here is you get a fab pink cue stick and it helps fight a terrible disease.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

A Pound for a Pound & 2 Thumbs Up!


What a great cause related marketing campaign! WeightWatchers launched a month long campaign, "Lose for Good", to support two nonprofits, Action Against Hunger and Share Our Strength.

What was exceptional about this program is that their customers, both online subscribers and those who attend local meetings, had the opportunity to participate. to lose weight and support two causes at the same time. The campaign will "donate the cost of a pound of food for each pound lost during campaign period. Pounds lost by Members will be determined by average weight lost per meeting attendance during campaign period multiplied by total number of attendances during campaign period. Pounds lost by Online Subscribers will be determined by total weight loss recorded in the Weight Tracker during campaign period. Weight losses are subject to our healthy weight loss guidelines. Cost of food will be calculated by each participating charity. Donations will be made 70% to Share our Strength up to $700,000 and 30% to Action Against Hunger up to $300,000." (WeightWatchers)

In addition, participants could spread the word through Facebook and MySpace using the widgets that WeightWatchers provided through their campaign website. Again, oh so smart! They implemented social media to create awareness for their program and the two charity partners they selected. Participants could also send e-cards and share the video to reach out to family and friends.

This was a well branded, well designed, well "everything" CRM campaign. Good for WeightWatchers and good for the participants to may have reached a new weight goal and helped someone else while doing it.

To learn more about the Lose for Good campaign, click here.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Corduroy to Promote Early Education


I know what you may be thinking, corduroy.. as in the pants we wore back in the 60's and 70's as kids. Nope! It's a children's book and it was used to jump start the Jumpstart's Read for the Record Campaign to set a world record for the world's largest shared reading experience on the same day with the same book. Read for the Record Campaign is Jumpstart's annual event. This year's book Corduroy is about a teddy bear's adventure in a department store.

I happened to watching the Today's Show with Matt, Meredith, Ann and Al on October 2nd. The rapper LL Cool J, Honorary Spokesperson, and actress, Mary-Louise Parker, singer/songwriter, Jesse McCartney, actor Greg Kinnear and Maria from Sesame Street read Corduroy on The Today Show for Jumpstart's Read for the Record! They were set up on the Plaza with lots of little fidgie' (fidg-i) sitting and listening to the story.

Jumpstart advocates for adults to read to children at an early age. Children that are read to at a pre-school age develop skills that prepare them to thrive in school. The Jumpstart model is quite successful. And, their Read for the Record Campaign created national awareness. This campaign is an excellent example of how one organization can reach the stars (no pun intended). With celebrity-readers, national broadcast network support, and communities & schools reading on the same day, the same book and breaking a record is amazing. Aside from the national pr, Jumpstart has an excellent and solid track record of making an impact. Impact being the measured progress and success of kids and the number of children served through the program. It was recently named one of the top charities by Fast Company's Social Capitalist Awards.