Citizen Brand

A big smile

Thanks to my friend Susan Carter Johns for posting this on Facebook this morning. Keep this big smile going through the weekend and pass it on.

Cause it's the right thing to do.....

Check out Razoo.com and their $10,000 contest to engage us to get more involved.  Razoo is a a new web platform designed to mobilize people for positive social change.  Or if you want to dip your toe in the Razoo water, you can check out their blog and see what they are all about.

This is also a great time to remind you that Lee National Denim Day is Friday, October 5.  This is the 12th year for this great grassroots program that has raised over $67 million dollars toward research and education about breast cancer.  There is a new way for you to get involved in Denim Day this year in addition to your workplace.  You can start your own team and get your friends, family or even strangers involved in helping to fight breast cancer.

Perhaps the coolest thing about Lee National Denim Day now is where your dollars are going.  The Entertainment Industry Foundation has launched its Women's Cancer Research Fund. Focused on early detection of cancer, the initiative is supporting EIF's Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery Project—an ambitious, groundbreaking scientific project where a group of internationally recognized scientists and clinicians from some of the best scientific institutions in the world are collaborating to develop a blood test that will detect breast cancer in its beginning stages, when survival rates are highest.

I had the opportunity to hear a presentation from the group of doctors from the best universities and hospitals in the USA who are conducting this research.  The work they are doing will yield important results and it is so gratifying to be able to tell each person who donates five dollars and wears their jeans on Denim Day this year that their donation is making a REAL difference in the fight against breast cancer.

If your company has yet to sign up for Denim Day, please take the lead and get them to sign up and if you work from home - create your own team.  Either way, you will know you are doing something good.

Rube Goldberg

Thanks Brady for this very fun way to start the summer....And thanks to Rube Goldberg too.

Happy National Park Week

Did you know this past week has been National Park Week?  Neither did I until Kurt pointed it out to us.  As he accurately points out, we should not limit ourselves to one week to celebrate our 300 plus incredible public spaces that preserve some of the most beautiful and unique scenery on this earth.  It's the end of a long week and seems like a good time just to sit back and look at some of that scenery.  Put a favorite song on and enjoy the journey.

Redwood National Park - California

Glacier National Park - Montana

Guadalupe Mountains National Park - Texas

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve - Kansas

Cumberland Gap - Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia

Denali National Park - Alaska

Acadia National Park - Maine

  Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado

Channel Islands National Park - California

Hope you enjoyed the journey. 

Cause Potpourri

Some interesting opportunities to think about from a morning of soaking up news and info from a variety of sources.

Hollywood big shot Michael Douglas appeared on ABC's This Week and talked about Global Nomads.  It is a program that brings together youth from all over the world using video conferencing to have a real time conversation about the issues of the day.

While perusing the New York Times online, this ad popped up talking about Ready, Willing & Able.  Here is what this organization is all about:

"The Doe Fund’s Ready, Willing & Able program offers life-changing opportunities to homeless individuals through paid work, transitional housing and comprehensive support services. The beloved “men in blue” who clean more than 150 miles of New York City streets every day have become integral to the quality of life in our city. They are supported by thousands of community residents who recognize and respect the hard work they do to rebuild their own lives while making New York City a cleaner, safer, more humane place for everyone."

And don't forget to think about attending the Social Marketing University hosted by Nedra Kline Weinreich.  Visit her blog, Spare Change for more information.  And readers of Citizen Brand can have a $75 discount by using the code CB75 when registering.  Thanks Nedra.

Just for fun

Some fun links to look at during the holidays.

Via JaffeJuice - a review of the most contagious things of 2006.

Thanks to Ernie Schenck for this uplifting clip from The Snowman.

How many new model trains were under the Christmas tree this week?  The Lawrence Journal-World checked out some of their local model train lovers in this story.

We just saw Dreamgirls tonight and I highly recommend it.  Ironically, the movie launches the same week that James Brown dies.  Eddie Murphy plays a fictionalized version of the Godfather of Soul in Dreamgirls.  Via Huffington Post, here is Art Levine's take on James Brown's influence on our music.

Finally, remember to support your local food banks during the holidays. 

Little Miss Sunshine

If you have not taken a break and gone to see the movie, Little Miss Sunshine, do it right away.  It is the best laugh out loud movie since The Full Monty.

While we are discussing movies, another one worth seeing is Woody Allen's latest offering, The Scoop.

There are some good movies coming out this fall.  The Departed looks like a great drama with a killer cast - Matt Damon; Leonardo DiCaprio; Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Jack Nicholson.  It is a Martin Scorsese film and perhaps this will be the one for which he finally earns his Oscar.  I believe it might be time.

Order has been restored

We have taken a lot of heat here in Kansas because of six people who have controlled the State Board of Education the past few years.  Their actions have included removing the teaching of evolution in the schools and the teaching of abstinence as the sole method of sex education. 

Kansas voters took care of this problem yesterday.  Read more in the Lawrence Journal World and the Kansas City Star.

Kansas has always been such a progressive state in so many ways and yet our reputation in the past few years has been denigrated because of a handful of individuals.  This is one of those moments that restores your faith in our electoral process.

Masks

It is said that we all have a mask or two that we use at times to hide our true feelings.  Or maybe we use them to protect ourselves from being hurt, either real or imagined.  No matter, masks are intriguing to us.  Masks also make up an entire category of art that spans generations and civilizations.  Masks tell us much about other people and other times.

I just learned about a great company called Masks Exhibition that ties masks and cause related giving together in a unique and powerful way.  Here is how they describe their purpose:

"Our fundraising concept is simple but powerful.  We produce an exhibition of clay masks that are designed by high profile celebrities.  The masks are shown along with paintings and prints from some of the most prominent artists in the world.  All the artwork is auctioned off and the proceeds from its sale are given to charitable causes."

"Behind every mask lies the beauty within."

A simple idea with an intriguing hook.  Check it out.

A better role than 007

I reported to you a few weeks ago that our client, Lee Jeans, has named a new beneficiary to begin its second decade of fighting breast cancer.  And today, one of the first benefits of that new partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation was announced.

Pierce Brosnan, one of Hollywood's biggest stars, will be the lead ambassador for Lee National Denim Day in 2006.  One of the things that is great about this is that Brosnan is currently the Honorary Chair of EIF, so his willingness to be spokesperson this year is a great way to kick off the new partnership between Lee Jeans and EIF.

If you or your organization have participated in Lee National Denim Day over the past ten years, we offer our thanks.  If you have never participated before, we invite you to check it out and consider coming on board in 2006.

For more details, go to DenimDay.com.