H&M Expands CSR Business Efforts and Teams with Marni in support of Japan Relief
Retailer H&M is known for their collaborations with celebrity and designer brands, as well as their extensive CSR business values which they have incorporated into their latest collection. On March 8th, 2012 the international retailer launched a joint venture with Marni which includes a piece to benefit the Red Cross Japan earthquake relief.
Marni is a luxury Italian label known for their vibrant use of interesting prints and textiles. The new line appropriately titled Marni at H&M brings luxury style to fashionistas on a budget and features men’s and women’s apparel and accessories along with a t-shirt that is contributing to the Red Cross effort in Japan.
Photo courtesy of H&M
The line has some major Hollywood star power behind it as well as Academy Award and Golden Globe winning director Sofia Coppola made the promo film to support the launch of the line. “‘I enjoyed doing this film for the Marni at H&M collaboration, I think it’s great how they make fashion accessible and I wanted to show the fantasy fashion can bring,’ says Coppola.”
When the line was recently launched in LA many notable celebrities attended the event including Drew Barrymore, Jessica Chastain, Andrea Riseborough, Winona Ryder, Freida Pinto, and Milla Jovovich. Barrymore was quoted as saying, “I love H&M and I love Marni. I love how H&M are bringing the regal, chic clothes of Marni to everyone.” Marni at H&M is their new and creative spring line, which will be available online as well as in some 260 H&M stores worldwide.
H&M has made, and continues to make, great strides towards sustainability so it’s no surprise that they also incorporate philanthropy into their collection with this t-shirt in support of the Red Cross Japan Relief. The combination of the two collections has garnered much media attention as well which draws awareness to a cause which may no long be at the forefront of people’s minds. For example, Marni at H&M collection was recently featured on Access Hollywood Live where they spoke about the socially conscious t-shirt.
It is refreshing to see that a large retailer like H&M and a luxury line such as Marni are willing to help support the nonprofit fundraising efforts of Red Cross. Cheers to H&M for their continued commitment to developing their CSR business values. Hopefully other big-name brands will follow suit.
Marni at H&M Directed by Sofia Coppola (Extended Version)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juApLTYYjP0[/youtube]
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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional professional fundraising including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.
I believe that this marketing strategy of H&M is a bad example of CSR. I think person responsible for this initiave should understand the basic differences in nature betwee marketing, CSR and charitable organization. If you really wanted to help Japan, you would have done this sort of work during the disaster in Japan. 25% from total profit is very confusing in nature.
I am not against the support to Japan Relief. Whole Europe is going through financial difficulties. Umployment in the UK is highest in number. Public spending cuts left many people in unstable financial condition. The country from where you import clothes are in enormous poverty. Your own stakeholder needs support and your are thinking about global stakeholder.
You in other hand making business value from humanitarian concern. This is very unethical way of marketing.
Thank you for your comment. Whether or not you agree with all of the tactics of H&M, you have to give them credit for raising awareness of various worthy issues and at the very least are making an effort. I agree that there is still more they can do but if all businesses contributed to the greater good to the extent of H&M, I think we’d be further ahead overall. You have to appreciate that they represent progress and accept that perfection is a ways off but that’s just my opinion and I respect you for yours. Thanks again for stopping by.