Live from Licensing Show: Pink Panther Linked to Komen for the Cure
MGM Consumer Products is using its iconic Pink Panther as the backdrop of a new cause-marketing program to benefit the global breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
The firm is launching a new branding initiative, called Pinkitude, a fashion-inspired brand extension of the brand. The line will include a collection of apparel, jewelry and footwear, with plans to expands into the paper goods business. So far, the company has signed 22 licensees to support the program.
The brand extension encompasses “a passion for life with fun, fashion and an important message of empowerment regarding women’s health and well-being,” Travis Rutherford, executive vice president, MGM Consumer Products, said yesterday.
The partnership is designed to spread awareness about breast cancer and breast health, Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, said.
The campaign, which runs from August through October, will target teen and young adult women—the first time MGM Consumer Products will use Pink Panther to target that audience, Rutherford said.
MGM Consumer Products kick off the campaign with a celebrity-studded event Aug. 14 at Club 7 Lounge in Los Angeles. And starting Aug. 16, retailer XIN Boutique in Los Angeles will transform into the “Pinkatude” store by XIN for one month and offer a yearlong Pinkatude corner after that. The store will donate a portion of its sales to the cause during the program.
XIN will serve as the anchor of a Melrose Avenue block party later in the month. The campaign will expand to include specialty and department store chains. Other plans include a New York designer shoe event.
The campaign will be supported with on-air stunts on MGM HD and VOD channels. Pink Panther avatars will be distributed on social media Web sites to promote breast health awareness, as well as a dedicated Pinkatude Web site. Inserts in MGM DVDs, PR and print ads in OK Magazine will also support the initiative.
Pink Panther himself will make special appearances at 30 Susan G. Komen for the Cure events, as well as the ongoing Komen on the Go education tour. The mobile event, which runs in the spring and fall, visits college campuses to talk to young women about breast health. In coffee shop-style set-ups, visitors can also buy pink ribbon merchandise.
Moddelmog said the partnership with MGM Consumer Products would help the cause boost awareness among young audiences that are often unaware of breast health issues.
“This is a whole new way to looking at marketing,” Moddelmog said. “This is a whole new attitude.”
