ASICS America Corp. in Irvine launched a marketing campaign that encourages athletes to add a mile to their workouts. It said it will donate a pair of running shoes to the Girls on the Run nonprofit organization for every “extra mile” run.
Miles can be logged until the end of November via the footwear and apparel company’s Runkeeper app. The brand also will set up treadmill stations in Columbus Circle during the TCS New York City Marathon so that participants can run or walk an “extra mile” to activate a shoe donation to Girls on the Run, which supports fitness programs for girls in grades three through eight.
“The [marathon] is a truly unique and global platform within the running community,” Vice President of Marketing Roeya Vaughan said in a statement. “We are thrilled to tap into the excitement and global reach of the event, and create a movement that transcends New York City and inspires people to create positive change, something core to our ASICS founding principle of sound mind, sound body.”
Mikimoto Pearls
Pearl jeweler Mikimoto set up a Mikimoto Möbius Ribbon installation at South Coast Plaza that was on display through Oct. 20 to capture “the timeless allure of the finest cultured pearls and pearl jewelry in the world.” The “ribbon” was adorned with photographs of founder Kokichi Mikimoto, celebrities wearing his designs, vintage ad campaigns, catalogues and magazine covers.
Marilyn Monroe’s Mikimoto necklace was showcased Oct. 13 during a fundraiser for Oceana, an international ocean conservation and advocacy organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Mikimoto has a boutique at the shopping center in Costa Mesa, as well as at the Fifth Avenue store in New York, Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, and The Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas.
MINI for Marymount Mariners
The Irvine MINI dealership, part of the Shelly Automotive Group in Irvine, partnered with Marymount California University to offer freshmen an incentive to complete their bachelor’s degrees in four years.
“Starting this fall [students] can purchase a MINI Cooper from Irvine MINI at the very lowest fleet price,” Marymount President Lucas Lamadrid said in a statement. “The student is responsible for the first four years of car payments, but upon graduation, the university will make the fifth and final year of payments.”
The dealership’s general manager, Steve Rudkin, said he’s “embraced the opportunity to improve college graduation rates” and that the Mini Cooper is “the right vehicle for college students” because of its reliability and low fuel cost.
“We’d like to see 100 freshmen sign-up for ‘My Marymount Mini’ and that same 100 students graduate in 2020,” Rudkin said.
The private, nonprofit Catholic university has campuses in Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro.
Bits & Pieces
Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. in Anaheim is the exclusive retailer for Justin Bieber’s Purpose Tour—All Access Collection. … Tilly’s Life Center, the nonprofit arm of Tilly’s Inc. in Irvine, has partnered with Rastaclat on a collection of shoelace-like bracelets to benefit the foundation. The TLC x Rastaclat collection will be sold on Oct. 30 at Tilly’s stores and at www.tillyslifecenter.org. … SM Ingredients, a San Juan Capistrano-based distributor and marketer to the food, nutrition, animal and beverage industries, appointed Lara Bova to its corporate sales and marketing team as account manager. … Alliant Insurance Services in Newport Beach is the official sponsor of the Chicago-based Brownfield Listings LLC, a real estate redevelopment marketplace. Alliant will support “all marketplace events, campaigns, promos and market-making activities not individually branded.” … HALO Branded Solutions in Sterling, Ill., acquired Costa Mesa-based Clean Fun Promotional Marketing from its parent, Delivery Agent Inc. The San Francisco-based marketing technology company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September, listing $80 million in debt.
