Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Think Before You Pink

Jimmy Choo aside, it seems that many companies are not using the sale of their products to make money for breast cancer charities, but rather, are using breast cancer to sell their products....or so says the Think Before You Pink project of Breast Cancer Action.

Take for example the ad shown to the left. It is for a name-brand full-figure bra. Last time I checked (and it truly was a LONG time ago - going on four years), name-brand bras such as this cost, on average, in the range of from $25 to $40. And my quickie research of this particular bra indicates that in 2006, it probably sells for around $60.

Now, the sale of this particular bra is being advertised as a way for the customer to support a particular breast cancer charity. But here's the rub: guess how much this company donates to this breast cancer charity if you buy one of these bras?

One dollar.

One dollar is what percent of $60? Is the purchase of a $60 bra for which $1 is donated to a breast cancer charity (which charity is going to take some portion of that dollar off the top to fund its own internal operations, pay its salaries, etc.....) really a purchase that supports breast cancer research/breast cancer care? Or is it a purchase that was induced through an advertising campaign that merely hooked itself to the bright and shiny, pink breast cancer star?

It's a thought provoking little message they've got there, so please...click here to check it out...

YC

P.S. Don't even get me started on the "forward this email of a graphic of a running woman to advance the cause of breast cancer" messages I get in my inbox or the "forward this email to eradicate drive-by mastectomies" or the "click here to fund a mammogram" crap.

YC

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was just told by my insane sister-in law not to send obsenities, but...that is some sick shit!!! I sound like a crunchy hippy, but I am starting to hate corporate America. It just sickens me. Thanks for sharing Lauren, I didn't know. F-ers!

love
sonya

Yoga Chickie said...

It was news to me too!

Anonymous said...

I truly hate the e-mail about buying breast cancer stamps. So that means if you spend $1 extra for these stamps, you can feel as if you donated some meaningful amount to eradicate bc?

I too am sick and tired of these e-mails and of the self-serving so-called charities. A week ago, I received a call from some organization I had never heard of soliciting money for breast cancer research. I said I don't give to organizations I don't know about and was told that they had an internet site! Oh, I guess that makes them legit?

BeBe

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for posting on this! Let me know if you'd like to be on BCA's e-alert list. Blog on...

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About Me

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Northern Westchester, New York, United States
I live by a duck pond. I used to live by the East River. I don't work. I used to work a lot. Now, not so much. I used to teach a lot of yoga. Now not so much. I still practice a lot of yoga though. A LOT. I love my kids, being outdoors, taking photos, reading magazines, writing and stirring the pot. Enjoy responsibly.

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