“We’re proud to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in celebration of Pride Month," said ... [+]
gettyKenneth Cole is trying on some high heels for size–through a game by global digital and online entertainment leader Zynga ZNGA , that is.
The partnership to introduce the Kenneth Cole Pride 2021 collection in the hyper-casual game, High Heels! marks the first time Cole’s street-smart style will be featured in a mobile game.
High Heels! has been downloaded over 60 million times since January and has been praised for bringing “queer joy to the top of the Apple AAPL charts.”
During the first two weeks of June, gamers will be able to wear their pride on their sleeves – and heels – as they outfit their character and strut the virtual runway in products from the Kenneth Cole’s Pride collection, including the brand’s recognizable KAM sneakers, shirts emblazoned with the message, “Being Different is What We Have in Common,” and accessories such as sunglasses, watches and mask lanyards.
Kenneth Cole has a long history of supporting public health and civil liberties. For almost 40 years, Cole and his brand have nurtured and maintained a global culture of equity and inclusion. Cole in 2020 founded The Mental Health Coalition, whose mission is to build a like-minded community that will work together to de-stigmatize all mental health conditions, enabling equitable access to vital resources and support for all.
Every Pride product purchased from Cole’s e-commerce site triggers a donation of net sales to The Mental Health Coalition, which offers resources specific to LGBTQ+ communities, including an LBGTQ+ mental health guide and the ability to connect with its member organizations for support.
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“At Kenneth Cole, there’s always been a rich history of supporting public health and civil liberties,” Cole told me. “For almost 40 years, the brand and I have nurtured and maintained a global culture of equity and inclusion.
“When I was first introduced to the team at Zynga, it was clear that our companies have shared values and this partnership is a great way to further highlight the importance of acceptance and inclusion,” Cole added. “The High Heels! game specifically promotes what our 2021 Pride collection stands for, “Being different is what we have in common.”
Cole said that as a New York designer, he continuously finds himself gravitating toward the color black when designing. “The Pride collections are always a great opportunity to push the boundaries and bring color into our product,” he said. “We have been supporting equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community since 1993 and we have been creating T-shirts with messages of equality and LGBTQ+ rights for decades.
“In 2017, we finally brought Pride to our footwear and added a rainbow stripe update to the back of our most popular KAM sneaker,” Cole added. “It’s a proud – and a little bit loud – detail to show our continued support, and an opportunity for our customers to do the same. Over the last five years, we’ve added additional products to the Pride collection, such as watches, sunglasses, fragrance, and most recently mask lanyards.”
Kenneth Cole designed products that appear on the Zynga game High Heels!
Courtesy of Kenneth Cole and Zynga“At Zynga we believe, unequivocally, that our strength is in our diversity and that we are called to celebrate our differences,” said Frank Gibeau, CEO of Zynga. “We’re proud to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in celebration of Pride Month. We’re thrilled to be partnering with a boundary-pushing brand like Kenneth Cole to increase representation in our games and empower players to show their pride, spirit and fashion in High Heels! It’s a perfect fit.”
Zynga connected to Kenneth Cole team through a mutual contact at the World Health Organization, who saw synergies between the designer and the game creator’s audiences and their shared interest in philanthropy. The popularity of High Heels!, and the tone and the spirit of the game, gave both companies an opportunity to create something for the LGBTQ+ community for Pride month.
“This collaboration with Kenneth Cole marks the first partnership for High Heels! since the game’s launch in January,” said Bernard Kim, Zynga’s president of publishing. “We’re honored to have a fashion icon like Kenneth Cole be our first collaborator within the game.”
Kim sees the worlds of fashion and gaming getting closer. “Fashion is very much like gaming in that they’re both ingrained to one’s life,” he said, “something that’s woven into the fabric of your day. Whether you’re a niche gamer with very specific tastes, or a casual player who loves a simple mobile game to unwind, everyone plays games. And like fashion, people are very passionate about their games. They love to socialize with other players and customize and personalize their game experience, including styling their in-game avatar. There’s a natural crossover between the two sectors, and we’ll continue to see these worlds getting closer as brands go digital.”
Kim said that many Zynga games offer opportunities for fashion collaborations. “In Words With Friends, we’ve done collaborations with organizations and celebrities to create their own ‘tile style’ in the game, which players can use on their game boards,” he said. “Our Zynga Poker game has a special series, in which players can earn a luxury virtual watch or ring in the game to showcase their skill to other players. And most of our games give players the chance to build and outfit a custom in-game character, which is a fantastic opportunity for gaming and fashion to continue to partner.”
Cole and Kim are taking a wait-and-see approach to NFTs. “This is a digital world we are living in,” said Cole. “Now that so much of the fashion space has gone virtual, I can see NFTs being an important tool for the industry. I’m definitely open to learning more about it and seeing if it would make sense for the brand.
“Blockchain is an exciting and innovative technology that we’re watching closely at Zynga,” Kim said.
“We’re definitely open to working with Zynga in other creative ways, hopefully from both the Kenneth Cole brand and from the Mental Health Coalition,” said Cole.
The Link LonkMay 28, 2021 at 10:41PM
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Kenneth Cole Kicks Up Its Heels For Pride Month On Zynga - Forbes
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