TAXI DELIVERS KNOCKOUT PUNCH - Strategy

PRETTY IN PINK
BY JONATHAN PAUL
October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and
a plethora of branded partnerships had consumers
seeing pink. But Telus had Rethink Breast Cancer
also seeing green.
Starting last February, Telus pledged to donate $25
to the charity for every Pink Blackberry Pearl 8130
Smartphone sold ($50 for those purchased by a
Telus team member) until the end of October, up to
$250,000. But the program was so successful
that Telus donated $1.15 million to Rethink on
Oct. 22 – and decided to extend the initiative
until Dec. 31. Pink Gund chameleons were also
available at Telus stores for $5.99, with all
proceeds going to Rethink, proving that even
plush versions of the reptile can change colour.
Here are four other efforts that tickled us pink:
1. Torontonians may see an
unusual vehicle fi ghting breast
cancer – a pink ready-mix truck.
The fi rst of its kind in Canada,
the Pink-Truck came about
through a partnership between
Toronto-based construction products manufacturer St. Marys
Cement and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as part of the
“Building a Concrete Cure” campaign.
2. Handywomen looking to complete DIY projects
in style were able to pick up a hot pink tool kit at
Canadian Tire, with $2 from each sale donated
to Rethink Breast Cancer.
3. And if you want a matching laptop,
Toshiba Canada launched a limited-edition
pink version of its Portégé M800 at Best Buy. Until
the end of the year, $40 from each sale will be donated to
the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
4. Our fi nal pink team shout out goes to
Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants!
SpongeBob PinkPants microfi ber clog
slippers for women were available at
Jean Coutu pharmacies for $12.99, and plush
versions at Wal-Mart for the same price.
Nickelodeon donated 100% of its profi ts to
Rethink Breast Cancer.
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ACCOUNTANTS PAY
KIDS TO SAVE PLANET
First they wanted young people to rule the
world, now they want them to save it. The
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario
(ICAO)’s Philanthropy Challenge is a call to
Ontario high school and university students to
come up with an innovative way to “save the
world” through a business or product idea.
The contest is part of the “Rule the World”
recruitment campaign, which came about when the ICAO and Ogilvy
discovered through focus groups that young people don’t know much
about what CAs do, or that they’re often in leadership positions.
“We thought it would be great to let them show their mettle and
have a positive impact,” says Jon French, associate director of career
information at the ICAO. The Institute is spreading the “rule the world,
save the world” message through print materials and a website
(guidetorulingtheworld.ca) created by Ogilvy, as well as campus events.
Students can enter the Philanthropy Challenge on the website, but
they must fi rst register with the ICAO’s Associate Student Program. The
winners (a two-person high school team and an individual in university)
will walk away with $10,000, half of which is to be used to implement
their idea with the help of a CA mentor. The contest closes March 13. EW
UNDERCOVER PRESSURE
Have you ever
wondered if you have
what it takes to be a
covert operative?
To mark the launch of
Law & Order: Special
Victims Unit on Hallmark, London-based creative shop Ralph
put together a microsite, willyoubreak.com, that gauges how
well would-be agents would cope with the pressures of being
on undercover assignment for the SVU.
The challenge gives players a fi ve-second glance at their
cover, then asks them to recall details from the profi le while
they’re watching a clip featuring SVU’s Det. Benson (Mariska
Hargitay) undercover at a prison. One's ability to manage
their heartbeat is monitored by tapping the space bar.
The viral nature comes into play with a prompt to test a
friend for a chance to win fl ights to New York City. JP