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Michael Kors spreads World Food Day awareness with themed merchandise on Instagram

Fashion label Michael Kors is leveraging Instagram to boost its efforts for World Food Day, which includes a partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme.

The label is giving away t-shirts that say ?Watch Hunger Stop? and asking recipients to snap and post a picture of them wearing the shirt and use the hashtag #WatchHungerStop. Michael Kors has also introduced a limited-edition 100 Series watch featuring the engraved message ?1 watch = 100 meals? on the case back. 

?With over 21 million fans on our social platforms, it?s the easiest way to connect with our customers on a daily basis,? Lisa Pomerantz, senior vice president of global communications at Michael Kors, New York. 

Making a movement
Michael Kors? partnership with the U.N.?s World Food Programme began in 2013.

The fashion label hopes to spread the word on World Food Day on Oct. 16 by incorporating social media.
As of press deadline, nearly 10,000 uses of the hashtag had been made on Instagram.


Victoria's Secret models Chrissy Teigen, Candice Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge have teamed together to show their support in the campaign by sharing a photo of themselves sporting the t-shirts and watches.

The limited-edition watches will drive donations. For every watch in the collection that is sold, 100 children will be fed one meal each. More specifically, Michael Kors will donate $25 for every watch purchased.

The limited-edition mid- and oversized unisex watches are available only in Michael Kors boutiques and online and retail for $295. The timepiece features a rose gold stainless steel case and strap with a grey-blue detailed map of the world etched on the dial.


Driven by social
The fashion label?s marketing efforts tend to be extensive and all-encompassing. 

Michael Kors expanded its Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week All Access Kors live stream to a Chinese audience with the inclusion of a customizable campaign on Weixin and WeChat.

Through the microsite, launched a week before the show, consumers were able to watch the runway livestream and follow a feed of social content related to the show. Bringing consumers in with this branded platform appealed to loyalists, who crave access to the fashion labels they follow (see story).

Michael Kors also brought consumers to the place of inspiration for its fall/winter 2014 runway collection through a digital travel guide.

The label?s eponymous designer was inspired by the Big Sur region of California, centrally located on the coast of the state, and inspired consumers to take a trip there themselves through a travel diary blog post and social video. Though a beach scene may seem like an unconventional setting for a fall marketing effort, the travel content spoke to the personal inspiration of the collection (see story).

?We know our fans are using their mobile phones more than ever, so it seemed only natural to integrate a Wear It and Share It component into this year?s campaign,? Ms. Pomerantz. ?We?re encouraging everyone to post a pic in their t-shirt using the hashtag #WatchHungerStop. 

?Knowledge is power and we believe that together we can make a difference,? she said.

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York