The perfect intersection of PR meets Social Media and Social Good, The White Cashmere Collection showcases the power of PR to build an awesome brand platform and a campaign with legs strong enough to thrive for eight consecutive years and form the centrepiece for a brand’s fully integrated marketing program.
Strategic Objectives created the White Cashmere Collection for Kruger Products back in 2004 as a unique showcase for Canada’s top design talent and to launch new Cashmere Bathroom Tissue. Pure, soft and luxurious, it’s the softest feeling next to your skin. Unique in the world, the White Cashmere Collection is entirely crafted in Cashmere Bathroom Tissue (BT), Canada’s best-selling brand. More than 87 top Canadian fashion designers have participated in our first-of-its-kind collection to date.
A fully-integrated annual fund and awareness-raiser for The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the WCC pivots on a mega runway fashion show in September just before October, Breast Cancer Month. The program also includes:
- Rich On-line and Social Media content including Cashmere Facebook and cashmere.ca
- Multi-faceted National Media Relations
- Month-long exhibits in The Hudson’s Bay Company flag ship windows in Montreal and Toronto
- Media Tours in Montreal and Ottawa
- Award-winning high-fashion photography
- The sale of limited-edition Pink Cashmere throughout the month of October to benefit breast cancer, with 25 cents from the sale of every package going to the cause.
The 2011 Cashmere BT Couture collection took our annual show to new heights with a stunning, packed-out, invite-only show at the Art Gallery of Ontario, in September. Curated by Canadian designer, Farley Chatto, the collection starred 15 established and emerging Canadian designers and their vision of a future without breast cancer, all showcased in gorgeous garments and accessories crafted in Cashmere Bathroom Tissue.
The collection is photographed every year by a top, world-leading photographer and our 2011 collection was no exception. Mario Miotti staged our high-fashion photo shoot on location at 12|12 Décor in Toronto, our first location shoot out-of-studio shoot. His magnificent photos are showcased at cashmere.ca and are gaining massive earned media pick-up around the world.
Continuing their annual support of the collection, Marc Anthony hair stylists and MAC Cosmetics produced hair and makeup for the shoot and styled the models for this year’s runway show, as well.
Three Quebec designers: L’Autre Couture by Luko Marion, José Manual St-Jacques and Simon Bélanger, took part in the collection and we took their BT Couture on a Montreal Media Tour immediately following the Toronto Runway Show. In addition to TV appearances, we also staged an in-store fashion show at La Baie, The Bay’s Montreal flagship store. Hosted by breast cancer survivor and fashion blogger Lolitta Dandoy, the show starred Quebec actress Marianne Farley who wore Cashmere BT Couture custom-designed for her by Luko Marion.
We continued our Quebec marketing push in partnership with Gala des Prix Gémeaux (Quebec’s equivalent of the Emmy’s, honouring French Canadian achievements in Television) and L’ADISQ (the Quebec Grammy’s, celebrating French Canada’s music industry) where Marianne Farley appeared wearing Luko Marion Cashmere BT Couture.
Our Strategic Objectives PR team was thrilled to create a frenzy in Ottawa, the Nation’s capital, when we invited the media to meet curator Farley Chatto and discover Ottawa designer Richard Robinson’s beautiful BT Couture at his Sussex Street design studio!
And the crowning glory? IRL (in real life) fully-branded, month-long exhibits in The Bay’s downtown Toronto and Montreal flagship store windows throughout October Breast Cancer Month. Talk about taking it to the streets!
To engage our Cashmere Facebook fans and raise even more money for the cause, Cashmere invited Facebook fans to Vote Couture for the Cure by clicking on their favourite design. Cashmere donated $1 for every vote to the Foundation and a $10,000 donation will be made in the winning designer’s name. Thousands of fashion lovers rose to the occasion and Christopher Paunil was voted winner of VOTE Couture for the Cure. Designer runner-ups include Carrie Hayes, Richard Robinson and LOVAS by Wesley Badanjak.
Don’t just take it from us, this story is making big news around the world. Take a look at what the media has to say about Cashmere BT Couture!
Our awesome Strategic Objectives PR team was thrilled to produce the 8th annual White Cashmere Collection: Fashion with Compassion. A year in the making, it is a beautiful example of a brand collaborating with its high-power community to create social good.
Please stay tuned for news of our ninth annual 2012 Cashmere BT Couture collection.
Deb Weinstein