Reebok International Ltd. has announced plans for a multi-faceted alliance with the American Heart Association (AHA) to increase public awareness and raise funds to fight heart disease, the #1 cause of death in America. With the help of the AHA, Reebok will serve as a leader in the education of women by providing healthy solutions in the prevention of heart disease. The alliance will include a promotional campaign that demonstrates the benefits of physical activity, community involvement and personal giving.
“Reebok's unprecedented partnership with the AHA is in alignment with our
commitment to promote walking and wellness and encourage people to
'outperform' at every level to achieve a healthy lifestyle,” said Kathy
O'Connell Johnson, Reebok's vice president, women's performance marketing.
“Combining Reebok's market reach with the AHA's expertise around this issue is
a win for both Reebok and the AHA.”
The AHA-Reebok alliance will blitz the market from virtually every angle.
To coincide with American Heart Month in February 2004, Reebok will introduce
its new DMX Max walking shoes, which offer walkers superb comfort in
conjunction with durability and style. In addition, Reebok will offer a
specially designed Limited Edition Heart Healthy T-shirt promoting the color
red — a symbol of the AHA's mission in the fight against heart disease. A
donation of $5 for every DMX Max walking shoe and every Limited Edition Heart
Healthy T-shirt purchased in February with a maximum donation of $50,000 will
be made to the American Heart Association. The AHA American Heart Walk logo
will be displayed on all Reebok walking shoe packaging and heart healthy tips
will be provided on the shoe box tissue paper and on the Reebok web site,
www.reebok.com/walking, which launches in February.
In-store promotions will include American Heart Walk displays, special
appearances by walking gurus at key Reebok retailers and giveaways with
purchases. An American Heart Walk application will be available on Reebok's
web site, www.reebok.com/walking, with a link to www.americanheart.org.
Additionally, the “Wear the Vector. Outperform Tour,” a multi-city tour
showcasing Reebok's Premier running and walking product, will provide
consumers with a custom footwear experience.
“Our alliance with Reebok is an important milestone in our history,”
stated Coletta Barrett, R.N., MHA, FAHA, chairman of the national board of the
American Heart Association. “We are very excited by Reebok's willingness to
take a leadership role in championing our cause and look forward to the
opportunity of heightening awareness, raising funds and bringing forth real
changes in people's lifestyles as a result of this collaboration. I am most
encouraged that a major corporation, like Reebok, would invest their time and
resources in assisting the American Heart Association to help people 'Learn
and Live'… to have Reebok put that passion into action is encouraging.”
The American Heart Association, one of America's most-respected non-profit
health organizations, is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is
to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. As
the AHA's signature fund-raising event, the American Heart Walks celebrate
survivors of heart disease and stroke, encourage walking and physical activity
as part of a healthy lifestyle, educate the public about prevention and
treatment of cardiovascular disease and raise money for research, education
and outreach programs. In 2003, 750,000 walkers participated in over 600
events across the country.
