Vanity and OneRepublic Team Up to Help Feeding America 'Share the Secret About Hunger' for 49 Million Americans

FARGO, N.D., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- National fashion retailer Vanity is partnering with pop band OneRepublic to help fight hunger with a promotion that will benefit Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization. The "Share the Secret About Hunger" campaign aims to raise awareness about food insecurity incurred by 49 million Americans everyday at a national level as well as provide hunger relief for people in communities across the country.  

From September 7 through October 16, Vanity will be collecting non-perishable food donations in all of its stores, which will be distributed to local food banks that partner with Feeding America. Vanity, in association with Interscope Records, also will be selling exclusive OneRepublic "Waking Up" CDs, and offering chances to win prizes in-store and online. Vanity will donate all of the proceeds from CD sales to Feeding America. Every CD sold will help to provide approximately 21 meals for those in need.

"About 1 in 6 Americans suffer from food insecurity, which means people in our own community -- friends, family and neighbors -- do not have the means to eat three meals a day, seven days a week," says Katie Wohlman, Vanity Marketing Manager.  "As a whole, the Vanity staff feels it's important to partner with our customers and other organizations to help make a positive impact in the communities we serve. As September is National Hunger Action Month, we feel privileged to work with OneRepublic, Feeding America and local food banks to help fight the hunger crisis in America through this timely campaign."  

During the six-week promotion, Vanity will offer customers who donate food or buy the OneRepublic CD with a coupon for 25 percent off one regular-priced item, redeemable in store or online at eVanity.com through November 23, 2010.

Vanity will play songs by OneRepublic including "Secrets" the first single from their new CD entitled "Waking Up", in store and online, with a special message about hunger relief pre-recorded by the band. Vanity will inform customers about the promotion through in-store signage, audio and video announcements; text messages; e-mail blasts; and social networking (on Facebook and Twitter).  All messages will direct customers and fans to eVanity.com to learn more about hunger relief and learn how to get involved in the promotion, enter the sweepstakes, and check out more music by OneRepublic.  

Prizes include:

• one grand prize of a trip for two to see OneRepublic in concert with a meet and greet, plus a $500 Vanity gift card;
• one first-place prize, including an iPad, autographed CD and $100 Vanity gift card;
• five second-place prizes, including an iPod Shuffle, autographed CD and $50 Vanity gift card;
• 10 third-place prizes, including an autographed CD and $25 Vanity gift card.

"The big winners, however, will be the people who receive food, thanks to the efforts of Vanity shoppers and fans of OneRepublic who show their support with food donations and CD purchases," Wohlman added.

For more information about the "Share the Secret About Hunger" campaign and hunger relief in the U.S., visit eVanity.com > Social Responsibility and feedingamerica.org. Visit OneRepublic's official website at www.onerepublic.net.

About Vanity:

Vanity specializes in offering a wide selection of premium jeans and junior lifestyle apparel and accessories targeted to style-conscious young females. For more than 40 years, Vanity has strived to provide its customers with an attractive and relevant shopping experience with on-trend, wear-now style in a variety of sizes from which to choose, including: 0-17 bottoms, 25"-34" waist sizes with up to 37" inseams jeans and shirts from XS to 2XL. Operating 185 stores in 26 states, Vanity's corporate headquarters is in Fargo, N.D. It also serves customers nationwide through its online store, eVanity.com.

About Interscope * Universal Music Group:

Universal Music Group is the world's largest music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, one of the industry's largest global music publishing operations.  Universal Music Group consists of record labels Decca Label Group, Deutsche Grammophon, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Geffen Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Music Latino, Universal Motown Records Group, Universal Records South and Verve Music Group, as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, a new media and technologies division, and Universal Music Mobile. Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About Blanche Agency:

Blanche is a Los Angeles-based, full-service, marketing agency specializing in campaigns, promotions, partnerships and marketing solutions for brands and retailers with the music and entertainment industries... Founded by Lynda Stenge in 2008, the company creates fresh, unique opportunities and develops relevant, fun and strategic promotions to drive sales and connect with an otherwise hard-to-reach audience -- engaging them with dynamic, experiential marketing tied to the music and other entertainment they love.  For more information visit: www.blancheagency.com

SOURCE Vanity