Fashion designer Kenneth Cole, a champion of social change throughout his 30-year career, is introducing a new campaign for Fall 2014 called “Look Good, For Good.” Building upon the company’s heritage of promoting “style with a purpose,” as well as Cole’s personal interest in raising awareness for these causes, the new campaign will support charitable projects through the St. Luke Foundation for Haiti, HELP USA, and the Sundance Institute, which represent three company pillars — Collective Health, Civil Liberties and Artistic Activism.
To shift beyond raising awareness of social issues to encouraging action, the brand has teamed up with TakePart.com — the digital magazine and social action platform of Participant Media — which will produce original editorial pieces covering the impact of Kenneth Cole’s charity partner projects and enable visitors to take actions benefiting each nonprofit through TakePart.com’s proprietary Take Action Platform (TAP). Integrated into each article, TAP actions include signing petitions, pledging, donating, sending messages of support, and measuring the influence of social sharing. To further incentivize participation, Kenneth Cole will provide rewards for each action taken — for example, the company is inviting people to share photos of themselves taking action for one of the causes on Instagram or Twitter (or nominate others) using the hashtag #sharegood, for the chance to win a donation to the cause of their choice, and to accompany Cole to volunteer in Haiti.
The “Look Good, For Good” advertising campaign will be supported by a robust national print, outdoor, digital and social media plan. The campaign was shot in New York City by photographer Gregory Harris, and in the spirit of social impact, the cast and crew each donated 5 percent of their fee to support one of the charitable projects that the company is supporting.
As an extension of the campaign, Kenneth Cole enlisted three photojournalists to chronicle the work of each charity partner. The campaign is being brought to life digitally at ForGood.kennethcole.com, which will feature exclusive photographer and video content from Haiti, Sundance and Help USA, as well as an interactive timeline meant to educate the consumer on the brand’s 30-year philanthropic history.
About the three causes:
Healthcare in Haiti — St. Luke Foundation for Haiti
After the earthquake in Haiti, Kenneth Cole collected clothing, footwear and funds to build The Kenneth Cole Haiti Health Center in Cité Soleil, which is part of a medical system accessible to over 1.5 million people. The St. Luke Foundation for Haiti (a Haitian-run organization employing more than 1,000 Haitian staff) provides education, medical care and dignified humanitarian outreach through key programs. This season, Kenneth Cole is supporting healthcare in Haiti by funding the continued development of St. Luke Hospital.
Ending Homelessness — HELP USA, Youth Scholarship Fund
In 1986, Kenneth Cole helped to found the nonprofit HELP USA — a leading national provider of housing and services for homeless and low-income families and veterans, serving 20,000 people each night. This season, Kenneth Cole is supporting HELP USA’s Youth Scholarship Fund, which will furnish financial assistance to families moving from transitional shelters into permanent housing.
Documentaries for Change — Sundance Institute, Documentary Film Program
The Sundance Institute is dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences. Kenneth Cole has been an advocate for the Sundance Institute’s mission and dedicated supporter of the Sundance Film Festival since 2003, when he joined the board of trustees. For over 12 years Kenneth Cole has been the Official Provider of volunteer uniforms for the Park City festival, donating nearly 30,000 jackets to date. This season, Kenneth Cole is supporting documentary storytelling through the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, which provides creative and financial support to cinematic feature documentaries from independent filmmakers globally.
Last month, Participant Media, with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, launched a new multi-platform series, TakePart World, which investigates the myths and misconceptions people across the globe have about the developing world and spotlights those driving progress towards a sustainable future for the world’s poorest. The 10 TakePart World episodes will focus on pertinent themes and welcome guests who are trying to drive development in the areas of innovation and technology, agriculture and nutrition, health, disaster relief, and economic development.
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Published Aug 8, 2014 3pm EDT / 12pm PDT / 8pm BST / 9pm CEST