Missoni's Make Kids Happy charity football
Family-owned fashion brand Missoni is participating in a charity auction organized by Italian retailer Luisa Via Roma to benefit underprivileged children in Brazil.
While many brands have focused on the events on the field, others have taken a more philanthropic, humanitarian approach to their brand building efforts during the FIFA World Cup. This particular initiative extended to Italy as well, where Luisa Via Roma celebrated Brazilian culture with a themed edition of its bi-annual event in Florence, “Fierenze4ever."
Giving back
Luisa Via Roma’s charity auction, Make Kids Happy is in collaboration with athletic apparel and accessories maker Adidas. The brand tapped fashion designers to reinterpret the “Brazuca,” the official football of the World Cup.
The proceeds of the Make Kids Happy charity auction will go toward the Gol de Letra Foundation. The foundation tries to improve the living conditions of children in Brazilian favelas through art, culture, education and sports.
Missoni’s contribution to the charity auction, a water lily-like Brazuca, pays homage to the passions of brand founders Rosita and Ottavio Missoni: flowers and football. The ball’s design is made up of various colorful ovals that represents “the coming together of countries, histories and passions that are different and at the same time alike.”
Brazuca Make Kids Happy auction page on Luisa Via Roma's Web site
Consumers can bid on the Missoni Brazuca on eBay until July 14. As of press time, the Missoni Brazuca for the Make Kids Happy auction currently lists at $198 after 26 bids.
To maintain interest in the charity auction throughout the World Cup, the bidding is staggered with only four Brazucas being released at a time. The auction page for Missoni's Brazuca can be found here.
Additional participants included Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana, Emilio Pucci, Marni, Mary Katrantzou, Roberto Cavalli, Salvatore Ferragamo and Viktor & Rolf.
Other brands have worked directly with Brazilian communities to better living conditions for the country’s children. For example, Swiss watchmaker Hublot enlisted local support to build a playground for children in the favela Jacarezhino in Rio de Janeiro.
The watchmaker has invested substantial resources into the FIFA World Cup to become the Official Timekeeper, a position that affords visibility during every game of the globally-watched tournament. To improve its image among Brazilian consumers, Hublot worked with a local community to turn a derelict lot into a playground (see story).