Bluenotes Release Anti-Bullying T-Shirt With Simple Plan, Hedley & More

Canadian denim retailer Bluenotes will be selling a $10 fundraising t-shirt for Kids Help Phone, as of Monday (Nov. 19). Emblazoned on the back are the words “Artists against loneliness, hate, bullying, anger, suffering” and the names of the Canadian musicians involved in the anti-bullying effort. The front features the smartly dressed body of a man with a television for a head and the words “True Colors” inside it.

The design is by Bluesnotes senior designer Dennis Harrington.

The campaign features Simple Plan, Hedley, Lights, Kardinal Offishall, Fefe Dobson, Alyssa Reid, Walk Off The Earth, and Autotune The News, who have also recorded a version of Cyndi Lauper’s 1986 hit “True Colors” under the banner “Artists Against Bullying,” which is now for sale on iTunes.

Kids Help Phone is a free, anonymous and confidential phone and
online professional counselling service for youth.

“We want to empower younger generations to speak up against bullying on their own terms” Bluenotes director of marketing Royal Nasager said in a statement.

“Our goal is to not only raise money to help awareness, but also engage pre-teens and teens through the creative channels that interest them most - fashion and music.”

Bluenotes, which has given $1.5 million to Kids Help Phone since becoming a key sponsor of the service 16 years ago, will donate 100 percent of the profits from the sale of the t-shirts. The shirts, which come in grey and in white (girls fit), are available for a limited time at all 120 Bluenotes locations across Canada and at bluenotes.ca for North America.

The song and the t-shirt were both launched this week, to coincide with National Bullying Awareness Week (November 12-17).

The “True Colors” campaign is in response to a rise in bullying seen in schools and online. One in seven people has been bullied or is a bully, according to bullyingstatistics.org. And stats on ourkids.net show up to 50 percent of Canadian children are bullied and one in four are bullied online. The project aims to increase awareness and aid in bullying prevention.

“The face of bullying and harassment has evolved dramatically over recent years. A major part of Kids Help Phone’s mandate, and goal in our partnerships, is to invent new ways to reach more youth and encourage the anti-bullying discussion” Kids Help Phone president/CEO Sharon Wood said in a statement. “This year’s partnership with exceptional Canadian talents and Bluenotes, our largest project together to-date, is a huge stride toward eliminating the taboo surrounding seeking out help.”

 

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