Kenneth Cole Celebrates 30 Years Of Being Bold

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- After launching the company's 30 year anniversary with a February return to New York Fashion Week, Kenneth Cole continues the 2013 celebration with the September 12 launch of 30YearsBold.com.  Designed to salute the company's 30 year heritage of being bold and making bold moves, the digital hub will link visitors to: the new Kenneth Cole Advertising Archive, a first look at This is a Kenneth Cole Production, a coffee table book celebrating Kenneth Cole's 30 year career in fashion and social engagement, a 30^th Anniversary Digital Sweepstakes, as well as a calendar of 30^th Anniversary Retail Events and Mystery Offers.

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Interactive Digital Ad Archive
Since the beginning, the Kenneth Cole brand has always used advertising to distinguish itself from the competition.  Taking risks and provoking thought, the company has used its platform to discuss relevant social issues, while building meaningful connections with its consumers by promoting not just what they look like on the outside, but who they are on the inside. 

Launching on September 12, a comprehensive, interactive digital archive will chronicle the brand's 30 year advertising journey.  By accessing the archive, visitors will be able to dynamically search any Kenneth Cole advertisement using specific filters.   After accessing the ads, consumers will have the option of digging deeper to explore more about the campaigns, and share the content they are most passionate about through a variety of social platforms including Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Tumblr.

This is a Kenneth Cole Production
Kenneth Cole has collaborated with Rizzoli on the publication of a coffee table book celebrating his 30 year career in fashion and social engagement.  Featuring additional behind the scenes content in the form of augmented reality, consumers will be encouraged to scan a sticker on the book cover to download Junaio, a free mobile app, which will launch an image and personal message from the designer.   In addition to the cover, select pages throughout the book have also been activated with augmented reality giving readers special access to insider video content about the designer and his company.

Designed by Lee Swillingham and co-authored by Lisa Birnbach, This is a Kenneth Cole Production, chronicles the upstart of the fashion designer who built his brand from humble beginnings in 1982 into a memorable brand powerhouse. Spanning his 30-year career, the book pulls back the curtain of Kenneth's world: from his earliest days learning the shoe business from his father to early days of building his empire; from branching out into clothing to being credited with making basic black the ultimate go-to color for sleek and stylish city garb; and from the origins of his powerful ad campaigns to his vigilant social activism.  

On sale October 22, the book will be available at all Kenneth Cole stores worldwide, on kennethcole.com and wherever fine books are sold.  100% of Kenneth Cole's profits from the book will be donated to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. 

Book Tour & Designer Personal Appearances
The brand will be partnering with blogger Amy Levin of College Fashionista on a five-city book tour to support the launch.  The tour, which will be comprised of a series of designer Q&A's at the top Liberal Arts and Design colleges across the country, will be moderated by Levin, and live streamed on Google+ Hang Out.  Kicking off in October, his first stop will be FIT followed by visits to Berkeley, San Francisco Art & Design, University of Miami, and Miami Art & Design, Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard.  The tour will conclude back in New York at the prestigious 92 Street Y where Fern Mallis, one of the fashion industries most legendary personalities, will interview Kenneth as part of her Fashion Icon talks.  In addition to speaking at the Universities, Cole will be on hand to sign personal copies of the book which will be sold at each campus. 

While on tour Cole will also be promoting his fashion brand by doing personal appearances on October 12^th at Nordstrom in San Francisco, and on November 9^th at Bloomingdales in Aventura.

30^th Anniversary Digital Sweepstakes
Celebrating 30 years of bold fashion, bold statements, and bold experiences, the brand collaborated with Refinery 29, Out Magazine, and Inside Hook on the creation of three unique social media sweepstakes.

Refinery 29
Using #BoldFashion, Refinery 29 is enlisting the help of four Instagram influencers, by asking them to share their own images of bold fashion on Instagram and Twitter.  Fans of these influencers will have an opportunity to get in on the action by submitting their images of bold fashion.  The winner will receive a street style fashion shoot, complete with hair and make-up, and a Kenneth Cole wardrobe.

Out Magazine
Out.com will curate a retrospective showcasing the brand's advertisements over the last 30 years.   Using #BoldStatement, fans will be encouraged to post bold and inspirational statements on Instagram and Twitter.  The winner will receive a Chelsea NYC Gallery tour, dinner in one of the area's finest restaurants, and a Kenneth Cole wardrobe.

Inside Hook
Inside Hook will editorialize Kenneth Cole's 30^th anniversary, and using #BoldExperience, fans will be asked to post images of bold experiences on Instagram or Twitter.  The winner will receive exclusive access to a VIP experience in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or San Francisco, along with a Kenneth Cole wardrobe.

30^th Anniversary Retail Events & Mystery Offers
Beginning September 28^th and running through October 5th, the company will kick off a week-long series of 30^th Anniversary retail events and mystery offers at select Kenneth Cole stores across the country.  Events will include: DJ scratch and learn lessons, singles mixology-mixers, and special offers that include free-move tickets with a purchase of $100 or more.  Partners include:  Scratch Academy, Match.com, and Movietickets.com.

About Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.
Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. designs, sources and markets a broad range of footwear, handbags, apparel and accessories under the brand names Kenneth Cole, Kenneth Cole Reaction, and Unlisted, as well as footwear under the proprietary trademark Gentle Souls. The Company has also granted a wide variety of third party licenses for the production of men's and women's apparel, as well as fragrances, watches, jewelry, eyewear and several other accessory categories. The Company's products are distributed through department stores, better specialty stores, company-owned retail stores and its e-commerce website. Further information can be found at http://www.kennethcole.com.

SOURCE Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.