Yesterday, April 5, 2011, Essie Cosmetics and TOMS Shoes hosted One Day Without Shoes, a worldwide event that asked people to ditch their shoes to raise awareness about impoverished children who lack, among other necessities, shoes. To increase participation on the day, Essie introduced a limited edition nail color called “A Day Without Blues,” which Seventeen.com encouraged readers to use on their toes when they went shoeless. Keeping with the technological times, the event tied together tangible products like the nail polish and electronic ones like an iPhone and Android app, Twitter hashtag and website for posting photos, offering those without the interest in nail polish an opportunity to show their support.
The event garnered global support from students to celebrities and everyone in between. Friends and coworkers created teams, which required matching gear (Read more about team gear in the upcoming April issue of Promo Marketing). On the day, participants tweeted pictures of their bare, blue toes and promotional gear.
The event will occur again next year so start brainstorming products. (Temporary tattoos like the Tattoos from Zenith Promotions, T-shirts with an explanation of the event like a tee from Heritage Sportswear Inc. and pedicure kits like the Small Foot Care Kit from Hit Promotional Products are a few ideas.) Events like this can raise awareness for the cause and revenue for you so keep an eye out for charities in your area.
Side note: Though One Day Without Shoes is a once-a-year event, TOMS supports the cause year-round. The motto of the company is: “With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.” The shoes run about $40.00-$80.00 and come in a plethora of styles, so you can look good while doing good.
