NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--G.H. Bass & Co., a division of PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH), today announced the launch of its Fall 2013 brand campaign and new ecommerce site, which celebrates the heritage of G.H. Bass & Co. and pays homage to its iconic Weejuns, the original penny loafer, first introduced in 1936. The campaign kicks off this fall and will employ an integrated media approach to reach style-savvy consumers through digital and social media channels, at retail stores, and at ghbass.com.
Conceived by New York-based creative agency, YARD, the Fall ‘13 brand campaign features the tagline Power to the Penny, paying tribute to Weejuns, the G.H. Bass & Co. brand’s iconic penny loafer. Shot in studio by Paola Kudacki and styled by April Hughes, the campaign embodies the brand’s preppy meets outdoor heritage and features a cast of four models who personify the G.H. Bass & Co. style point of view. Each execution is paired with customized penny art that plays off each pair of Weejuns showcased, turning the classic penny into an expression of personal style.
“G.H. Bass & Co. is truly an iconic brand,” said Kristin Kohler Burrows, President of G.H. Bass & Co. “As the originator of one of, if not the most classic shoes in footwear history, we wanted to capitalize on our rich heritage and legacy of our iconic Weejuns, the original penny loafer, with our new Power to the Penny campaign. We’re using this opportunity to tell our story to new and old consumers, alike, while continuing to push design boundaries by melding iconic styles with modern design aesthetics.”
In honor of its Weejuns, G.H. Bass & Co. is launching Pennies Toward Progress—an initiative to benefit the “I Have a Dream” Foundation®. For every pair of Weejuns sold at G.H. Bass & Co. retail stores in the U.S., on ghbass.com and by retailers in the U.S., G.H. Bass & Co. will donate 100 pennies toward the Foundation’s mission to close the opportunity gap for children in low-income communities, and empower them to achieve their full potential by providing them with academic and financial support, as well as exposure to a life of possibility.
“G.H. Bass & Co. was born in 1876 out of one man’s dedication to making things better—and today that philosophy guides everything we do,” said Kristin Kohler Burrows, President of G.H. Bass & Co. “To that end, we’re thrilled that our Pennies Toward Progress initiative can show the world just how powerful a penny can be. Together, we can help students in need across the country step forward towards their own bright futures.”
To celebrate the launch of the 2013 brand campaign and engage consumers from a social media standpoint, G.H. Bass & Co. has launched a Penny Yourself Facebook application at www.facebook.com/ghbass, allowing consumers to impose their profiles onto a penny that reads “In G.H. Bass We Trust.”
The newly unveiled ecommerce site will be a brand flagship, featuring the full breadth of the G.H. Bass & Co. Fall 2013 collection, including several modern interpretations of its Weejuns, in addition to classic silhouettes such as boots and bucs for men and women in fashion forward fabrics and colors, all with a little preppy polish and an easy outdoor attitude. In addition, the site will offer exclusive product, first with its patent leather candy-colored Weejuns and the story of the G.H. Bass & Co. brand. For more information, visit www.ghbass.com and to watch the Fall 13 campaign video, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MucCbzaj1UQ.
About G.H. Bass & Co.
The history of G.H. Bass & Co. dates back to Maine in 1876 and George Henry Bass—a man on a simple mission to make the very best shoe. In 1936, G.H. Bass & Co. put a stylish spin on a Norwegian farm shoe designed for “loafing in the field,” and playfully dubbed them Weejuns — introducing the world’s first penny loafer. From strolling across college campuses to doing the moonwalk, Weejuns have been found on industrious feet ever since.
They say they don’t make ‘em like that anymore, but Bass most certainly does. Still bench crafted and hand stitched, iconic Weejuns continue to be in demand by casual and fashion-forward crowds alike. Imbuing classic construction with a contemporary creativity, G.H. Bass & Co. continues to find new ways to marry the timeless with today—and stand as proof positive that a true original is always in demand.
About PVH Corp.
PVH Corp., one of the world’s largest apparel companies, owns and markets the iconic Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands worldwide. It is the world’s largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, IZOD, ARROW, Bass and G.H. Bass & Co., Warner’s and Olga, and its licensed brands, including Speedo, Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, DKNY, Ike Behar and John Varvatos.
About the “I Have a Dream” Foundation
www.ihaveadreamfoundation.org
The "I Have A Dream" Foundation empowers children in low-income communities to achieve higher education and fulfill their leadership potential by providing them with financial support and equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and habits they need to gain entry to higher education and succeed in college and beyond. By helping Dreamers gain access to college, “I Have A Dream” is placing these students on a different academic and life trajectory, while having a broader impact on the students' families and the generations that follow.