Michael Kors #WatchHungerStop

 Michael Kors dedicating the entire month of October to the fight against hunger. On World Food Day, October 16, Michael Kors teams took the streets outside six stores in five major cities to give away Watch Hunger Stop T-shirts. In each of the cities : New York, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Hong Kong.T-shirt recipients will be able to go into the participating store, enter a photo booth (actually, a Phhhoto Station) and have their picture taken. The Phhhoto images will be streamed live all day and evening on billboards in New York City’s Times Square and on Kors’ dedicated microsite, WatchHungerStop.com. The image (an animated GIF) will also be sent to participants via text and can be shared over social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using #WatchHungerStop.

To further support fundraising efforts that began last spring, when Michael Kors announced a long-term partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in support of its school meals program, customers in Michael Kors retail stores around the world will be able to add a $5, $10 or $25 donation to WFP to their purchases for the month of October. Stores will also prominently feature the 100 Series watch, specially designed by Michael Kors to support WFP. For each watch sold, 100 children in a hunger-stricken area receive a nutritious meal. To date, Michael Kors has helped WFP deliver more than one and a half million meals to hungry children through the sale of the 100 Series watch. 

On October 16, Michael Kors and Vogue Editor-in-Chief and Condé Nast Artistic Director Anna Wintour presented the first Michael Kors Award for Outstanding Community Service to former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the annual God’s Love We Deliver Golden Heart Awards Dinner in New York City. Kors has been a devoted supporter of God’s Love We Deliver (GLWD), a NY-based charity that provides life-sustaining meals and nutrition counseling for people living with severe illnesses, for more than 20 years. Last year, he announced a $5 million donation to the organization that enabled it to begin a major renovation of its SoHo headquarters. The company also hosts an annual corporate volunteer month at GLWD, and this year extended the volunteer program to Michael Kors offices around the world.

The activity is all part of Watch Hunger Stop, Michael Kors’ philanthropic initiative focused on helping to solve the problem of global hunger. “The response to Watch Hunger Stop has been amazing,” says the designer. “We delivered one and a half million meals to children in less than six months, and we’ve only just begun. Our hope for World Food Day is to get people talking about hunger, and about the many ways they can help address the problem. Donate, volunteer, talk, text, tweet really, everyone can be an ambassador.” 

 Details about the Watch Hunger Stop campaign, which launched in April 2013, can be found on WatchHungerStop.com, a specially designed microsite created to serve as the hub for all of Michael Kors’ hunger-fighting philanthropic efforts. There, visitors can find a wealth of content much of it shareable relating to the fight against hunger, World Food Day, WFP, Halle Berry and Michael Kors. They can text to donate directly to WFP. A chart indicates the number of meals distributed by WFP and paid for by donations and other contributions made through Michael Kors and Watch Hunger Stop. Images from the Phhhoto booths and Instagram (tagged with #WatchHungerStop) will be streamed to the site beginning on World Food Day.

The 100 Series watch is the brand’s first uniquely designed product to support a global  philanthropic initiative. Available exclusively in Michael Kors stores worldwide and online at MichaelKors.com, it retails for $295. While overwhelming demand led to limited availability when the watch offered in two styles was first introduced, it is now back in stock around the world. One watch features a gold-tone stainless steel case and bracelet with a turquoise dial. The other shares the same design details but is cast in a silver-tone stainless steel case and bracelet with a navy blue dial. Both watches have a detailed map of the world etched on the colorful dial, along with the words “100 Series.” Michael Kors’ signature is engraved on the back, as is the campaign name, WATCH HUNGER STOP, and the message “1 WATCH = 100 MEALS.” The unisex watches, available in mid-size and oversized styles, are sold in specially designed packaging that highlights the aim to WATCH HUNGER STOP.

 The 100 Series watch was unveiled by Michael Kors, together with Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry, this past April. Berry and Kors are also planning a visit to the field with WFP in the next year to experience firsthand the work done by the organization and to highlight the ongoing need to end hunger that exists in countries around the globe. Renowned for her talent, Berry has also been honored for her activism and philanthropy over the years. “I’m proud to join Michael Kors in this global effort to end hunger,” says Berry. “Statistics show that women play a crucial role in defeating hunger. WFP is especially focused on providing assistance to women because, as mothers, teachers, and entrepreneurs, they will improve the future for their families and communities. It’s an effort I’m eager to be a part of because I’m certain we can make a real and substantial difference in the lives of people in need.”