G.H. Bass & Co., a division of PVH Corp., announced the launch of its Fall 2013 brand campaign and new e-commerce site, which celebrates the heritage of G.H. Bass & Co. and pays homage to its iconic Weejuns, the original penny loafer, first introduced in 1936. The campaign kicks off this fall and will employ an integrated media approach to reach style-savvy consumers through digital and social media channels, at retail stores, and at ghbass.com.

“To that end, we’re thrilled that our Pennies Toward Progress initiative can show the world just how powerful a penny can be. Together, we can help students in need across the country step forward towards their own bright futures.”

Conceived by New York-based creative agency, YARD, the Fall ‘13 brand campaign features the tagline Power to the Penny, paying tribute to Weejuns, the G.H. Bass & Co. brand’s iconic penny loafer. Shot in studio by Paola Kudacki and styled by April Hughes, the campaign embodies the brand’s preppy meets outdoor heritage and features a cast of four models who personify the G.H. Bass & Co. style point of view. Each execution is paired with customized penny art that plays off each pair of Weejuns showcased, turning the classic penny into an expression of personal style.

“G.H. Bass & Co. is truly an iconic brand,” said Kristin Kohler Burrows, President of G.H. Bass & Co. “As the originator of one of, if not the most classic shoes in footwear history, we wanted to capitalize on our rich heritage and legacy of our iconic Weejuns, the original penny loafer, with our new Power to the Penny campaign. We’re using this opportunity to tell our story to new and old consumers, alike, while continuing to push design boundaries by melding iconic styles with modern design aesthetics.”

In honor of its Weejuns, G.H. Bass & Co. is launching Pennies Toward Progress-an initiative to benefit the “I Have a Dream” Foundation®. For every pair of Weejuns sold at G.H. Bass & Co. retail stores in the U.S., on ghbass.com and by retailers in the U.S., G.H. Bass & Co. will donate 100 pennies toward the Foundation’s mission to close the opportunity gap for children in low-income communities, and empower them to achieve their full potential by providing them with academic and financial support, as well as exposure to a life of possibility.

“G.H. Bass & Co. was born in 1876 out of one man’s dedication to making things better-and today that philosophy guides everything we do,” said Kristin Kohler Burrows, President of G.H. Bass & Co. “To that end, we’re thrilled that our Pennies Toward Progress initiative can show the world just how powerful a penny can be. Together, we can help students in need across the country step forward towards their own bright futures.”

To celebrate the launch of the 2013 brand campaign and engage consumers from a social media standpoint, G.H. Bass & Co. has launched a Penny Yourself Facebook application at www.facebook.com/ghbass, allowing consumers to impose their profiles onto a penny that reads “In G.H. Bass We Trust.”

The newly unveiled ecommerce site will be a brand flagship, featuring the full breadth of the G.H. Bass & Co. Fall 2013 collection, including several modern interpretations of its Weejuns, in addition to classic silhouettes such as boots and bucs for men and women in fashion forward fabrics and colors, all with a little preppy polish and an easy outdoor attitude. In addition, the site will offer exclusive product, first with its patent leather candy-colored Weejuns and the story of the G.H. Bass & Co. brand.

For more information, visit www.ghbass.com and to watch the Fall 13 campaign video, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MucCbzaj1UQ.