Soldiers, veterans, and their families are enjoying increased appreciation from the media and from a number of brands and employers this year. As has happened in previous years, the Veterans Day holiday is gaining attention, most especially on Madison Avenue.
A number of brands are not only celebrating American veterans, but are showing their appreciation through a number of hiring and advertising campaigns:
- Coca-Cola said on Thursday that it had exceeded a goal, announced in May, of hiring 800 military veterans. (The current number of veteran hires is 807.)
- Chase, part of JPMorgan Chase, has stated commitments to hire “at least 100,000 veterans” by 2020, give away 1,000 “mortgage-free homes” by 2016, and waive fees and balance requirements on certain accounts.
- The USO, which helps service members and their families, has signed up additional sponsors for its annual Grant a Wish for Our Heroes campaign. Marketers and brands like American Crew, AOL, ESPN and Old Navy are joining returning sponsors that include American Airlines, CVS and Cheerios.
- Cosmopolitan magazine, published by a division of the Hearst Corporation, will team up on Monday with the USO and the Maybelline New York cosmetics brand for a “Kiss Station”. Passers-by will be invited to plant kisses on postcards that will be delivered to the members of the armed forces serving in Afghanistan and Iraq in time for Valentine’s Day.
- Brooks Brothers is working with Dignity U Wear and its Suits for Soldiers program. It is also offering 25 percent off all in-store purchases, from Thursday through Monday, to active-duty and retired military personnel.
- The Uno Chicago Grill restaurant chain is joining with Services for the UnderServed, which assists veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq and their families, by pledging donations to the organization.
- The H.J. Heinz Company is helping the Wounded Warriors Project for the second year in a row. Consumers are asked to scan QR codes on the backs of ketchup bottles to send “thank you” messages to active-duty service members and veterans. For each message that is sent, Heinz will donate a dollar to the Wounded Warriors Project, and for each of those messages that consumers share with friends and family on social media, Heinz will donate an additional 57 cents. The donation ceiling is $250,000.
- Boeing is running a television, print and online campaign that features Boeing employees who have served in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy. A section of the Boeing Web site is being devoted to “honoring those who serve,” at boeing.com/tribute.
For more information about each of these campaigns and links to websites, check out the original article on the New York Times.
Source: New York Times
