Product placement works. For the most part, General Motors’ image benefited from the Pontiac G6 car giveaway on the “Oprah” show season opening. In the same vein, many companies donate a percent of the proceeds from the sale of select or specially designed products to breast cancer foundations in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Even though these “pink ribbon” product promotions are just that — a way to boost a company’s image — it’s still a win-win. Shopping and doing something good for the world is always a no-brainer.
When it comes to shopping for breast cancer awareness products, the Susan G. Komen Foundation has led the way. Every October, the foundation rounds up more and more retailers willing to donate proceeds from the sale of products or services to help the fight against breast cancer. This year, more than 50 retailers joined the campaign, from pet food manufacturers to car companies.
Car companies contribute to the causeNot everyone who participates will get a car but BMW of North America is sponsoring a “Friends” X3 giveaway contest. The winner takes home a X3 SAV signed by the cast of “Friends.” Entry forms are available online. Consumers are encouraged to make a donation to the Komen Foundation when they fill out a form. The last day to enter is Oct. 13, 2004.
Another car company involved in this year’s breast cancer awareness campaign is Ford Motor Company. For the second year in a row, Ford asked fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer to create a limited edition breast cancer awareness scarf.
Last year’s scarf was a hit with a host of celebs including the very fashionable Serena Williams. This year’s scarf already has a celeb following of singer Mary J. Bilge and actresses Claire Danes, Demi Moore and Jennifer Connelly. The 56-by-2 inch rectangular scarf features daisies, pink ribbons and paisley swirls against a mostly turquoise background. The 100 percent silk scarf sells for $35 at the Komen Foundation marketplace online, Lilly Pulitzer signature stores (locate them online at lillypulitzer.com) and can be ordered from the Bloomingdale’s early winter catalog online or by calling 1-800-777-0000. All the proceeds from the sale of the scarf will be donated to the Komen Foundation.
Great excuse for a new handbag
Handbags are another hot “pink ribbon” product this year. For the first time, Tumi and The Sak joined the October campaign. Known for its indestructible high-end luggage, Tumi created three women’s handbags for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and 20 percent of the retail price will be donated to the Komen foundation.
The smallest, a pink nylon pouch with a leather trim, sells for $35. The zip-closure pouch makes the perfect receptacle for little things we feel compelled to carry around. A larger matching pink pouch is designed to hold a lap top. The 13-by-10.75-inches computer sleeve retails for $75. A large gray flannel tote with pink embroidery and a pink leather trim, priced at $250, holds everything else, including the little pink pouch. Starting Oct. 1, the bags will be available online at tumi.com or at Tumi stores nationwide.
The Sak also created three pink bags to support the campaign and will donate 10 percent from the sale of any of these handbags to the Komen Foundation. The “pink ribbon” nylon satchel, complete with a pink ribbon key chain, comes in five colors — pink, black, bamboo, plum and azalea. The 15-by-7.5 inch satchel sells for $69 and is available at thesak.com and department stores, such as Macy’s and Dillard’s.
Two other handbags in The Sak’s Michelle collection will support the cause. Choose from the soft-sided hobo-style bag, priced at $90, or a rigid tote with leather bows, which costs $110.
Both bags come in black, brown, metallic pink, metallic blue, metallic silver and true pink. The Michelle collection is available at thesak.com and higher-end stores Nordstrom and Parisian.
Still haven’t found the bag that fits your style? Check out the Pick Pink page at www.ebags.com/pickpink, where 10 percent of the sale of any “pink ribbon” item will be donated to the Komen Foundation. There are more than 200 pink products to consider, and the promotion runs all year. Practical picks include Lewis N. Clark pink padlocks, four for $10. The Baggallini’s shopping tote is a steal at $22.99. Use it to collect all the other “pink ribbon” products. What to splurge? Check out Designer Diane Von Furstenberg’spink suitcase trunk on wheels for $249.99.
Think pink in the kitchen
Some “pink ribbon” kitchen products also will debut this October. KitchenAid added two new items to its “Cook for the Cure Collection,” kitchen products specially designed to help support the fight against breast cancer. The stainless steel tea pot is easy to recognize with its pink silicon handle. Five dollars from the sale of $49 tea kettle will be donated to the Komen Foundation. A five-speed blender with a pink metal base and a glass jar also will be available in October. Ten dollars from the sale of each blender, which retails for $129.99, will support the cause. The Cook for the Cure collection is available at cookforthecure.com, Williams Sonoma, Neiman Marcus and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Foodies and home cooks alike also can look forward to the release of a new cookbook. Billed as a “celebrity cookbook for the cure,” “Star Palate” (Documentary Media, 2004, $29.95) features 79 recipes from 72 celebrities. Tami Agassi, sister of Andre Agassi and a survivor of breast cancer, conceived the idea and gathered the recipes. Food writer and co-author Kathy Casey tested and modified the recipes for inclusion in the cookbook.
Recipes for some basic meals come courtesy of actress Susan Lucci and comedian Joan Rivers. Lucci contributed a “scrumptious” recipe for meatballs and spaghetti. Rivers keeps it simple with a recipe for toast. “The recipe has been in my family for years,” reads the caption under the photo of the world-renown comedian.
Stellar chefs also participated. Included in the book is a recipe for tuna pizza from Iron chef Masaharu Morimoto and one for a salad of black mission figs from Thomas Keller, chef of the French Laundry in Napa Valley and Per Se in New York City.
Also, check out the herb roast turkey a la tennis stars Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf and the Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole, cooked at Camp David by Chelsea Clinton. Proceeds from the sale of book will to donated to the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Other pink ribbon products to be on the look out for in October include:
Bath By Bettijo will donate 25 cents of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society for each bottle sold of Fenomenole, an all-natural oil blend with pink grapefruit essential oil, $12. Crabtree & Evelyn stores nationwide will donate $5 from the sale of each 100 ml rosewater hand therapy, $12, to The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. At Estee Lauder counters nationwide, a portion of the proceeds from select products will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Participating brands include aveda.com, clinique.com, esteelauder.com and origins.com.