Pacsun Joins Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation For Largest "#BeKind21" Campaign To Date

The Youth Retailer, along with more than 400 nonprofit organizations, businesses, school districts, and communities team up for the annual challenge

News provided by

Pacsun

Sep 01, 2021, 12:02 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, announced the launch of its annual #BeKind21 campaign, a movement that calls on the public to practice an act of kindness each day from September 1st to September 21^st to build kinder, more connected communities.

This year marks the Foundation's largest #BeKind21 campaign to date, and Pacsun is honored to participate for the first time, alongside more than 400 other organizations. The retailer's partnership with the Foundation began in October 2020 and works to support youth mental health. This initiative to encourage kindness is part of the overall brand partnership to help foster mental wellness in the youth community.

"Born This Way Foundation's focus on the mental health of youth is truly inspiring, and we are honored to be a continued partner and part of such an impactful campaign and the biggest #BeKind21 to date," said Brie Olson, President of Pacsun. "At Pacsun we strive to eliminate stigmas every day, across everything we do, including our campaigns, collections, and products. Participating in this campaign and pushing the importance of kindness is a natural extension of our dedication to the wellbeing of our consumers."

This year's campaign has been purposefully designed to meet the needs of the present day and promote kindness in global environments heading into the fall season, including schools, classrooms, workplaces, homes, the public sector, and beyond. Pacsun has set up a Born This Way Foundation link on the PacCares dedicated landing page Pacsun.com/PacCares to encourage people to take the pledge and sign up. Those who take the pledge will join Born This Way Foundation's community, receive access to kindness calendars, tips, and inspiration from the Foundation's co-founders and partners, and have the opportunity to be featured on the Foundation's youth storytelling platform ChannelKindness.org.

"We are grateful for Pacsun's support of Born This Way Foundation online and through their in-store activations. With their collaboration, #BeKind21 has a significant role to play in nurturing empathy, connection, hope, and wellness," said Cynthia Germanotta, President and Co-Founder of Born This Way Foundation.

In both the flagship DTLA and SOHO stores, Pacsun has intentionally built Kindness Walls for consumers to write notes of kindness. Consumers will also be encouraged to sign up for the pledge on location in stores where Pacsun has set up signing forms at cash wraps and QR codes for signing activation. Pacsun and Born This Way Foundation co-branded black tees will be offered in-store for consumers after Labor Day, with 100% of the proceeds going to Born This Way Foundation. The QR code is also featured on the outside of the tee for easy sign up.

To culminate the efforts with note writing on the Kindness walls in both the DTLA and SOHO flagship stores, Pacsun and Born this Way Foundation will align with #Hashtaglunchbag to include the notes in lunch bags to people experiencing homelessness. #HashtagLunchbag is a humanity service movement with a mission of connecting individuals through organized acts of love. Volunteers create bagged lunches, complete with love messages, as a vessel to spread kindness, while inspiring and empowering others. Pacsun will also post to TikTok and other social media platforms to help promote #BeKind21.

In 2020, #BeKind21 generated more than 112 million pledged acts of kindness globally with 5 million participants, and across the United States over 350 schools, 500 nonprofits, and 300 brands joined Born This Way Foundation for the campaign.

For more information on #BeKind21 or Born This Way Foundation, please visit: bornthisway.foundation/bekind21. Follow Born This Way Foundation and the #BeKind21 movement through the hashtag #BeKind21 on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

About Born This Way Foundation
Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, supports the mental health of young people and works with them to build a kinder and braver world. Through high-impact programming, youth-led conversations, and strategic, cross-sectoral partnerships, the Foundation aims to make kindness cool, validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. Learn how the Foundation encourages people to practice kindness towards themselves and their communities at bornthisway.foundation and its storytelling platform Channel Kindness at channelkindness.org.

ABOUT PACSUN
Pacsun is a leading specialty retailer offering a cross section of emerging brands and trending fashion through the lens of youth culture. Throughout the contemporary, streetwear and active lifestyle markets, Pacsun partners with the best brands to offer curated collections, rare and exclusive products, and creative collaborations on every level. Founded in 1980, Newport, CA. Curated in Los Angeles. Follow @pacsun on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

SOURCE Pacsun