Budget airline JetBlue has partnered with social good site DoSomething.org to kick off a new online celebrity charity auction. Most of the time, celebrity auctions offer something in the vein of “an afternoon with your favorite star” or a set of backstage passes and some VIP time with an artist. Heck, some celebrities even offer to mow your lawn. JetBlue has taken the celebrity auction idea and aligned it with their industry: luggage.
Bags, purses, totes and messengers are among the items donated from celebrities’ private collections, autographed and ready for bidding in JetBlue’s “Celebrity Baggage” auction. Utilizing online auction staple eBay, JetBlue is offering a number of celebrity carry-ons, with all of the proceeds benefiting DoSomething.org, an organization that looks to motivate and inspire young adults (25 and under) through volunteerism. The donations will go to fund youth projects and initiatives throughout the United States.
What celebrities donated their autographed travel wares, you ask? The group truly runs the gamut, offering television personality and comedian Chelsea Hanlder’s red tote, industry mogul Donald Trump’s briefcase, actress and 80’s icon Molly Ringwald’s travel suitcase, and even song parodist “Weird Al” Yankovic’s fur pouch messenger to name a few. The auctions include 2 roundtrip tickets through JetBlue and additional items unique to each celebrity, such as autographed headshots, signed books, VIP event tickets and more. And because bags fly free, JetBlue is providing free shipping for all of the auctions.
The auctions started on May 24 and will conclude on May 30, 2011.The current auction prices as of May 25 range from $90 to over $500, with Donald Trump’s briefcase leading the donations at $532 and Chelsea Handler’s tote close behind at $530. Using social media cross-promotion, JetBlue has set aside a number of auctions to give away through a Facebook promotion. By “liking” JetBlue’s Facebook page, users can enter into the sweepstakes to win autographed luggage and roundtrip tickets.
The Facebook promotion, which runs through June 6, 2011, offers a new prize every three days, such as signed baggage from the cast of the current Broadway musical Catch Me If You Can from May 30 – June 1 or LA Clippers forward Blake Griffin from June 5 – June 6. For each entry received, JetBlue will donate $1 to DoSomething.org, up to $25,000. So not only could you win autographed celebrity baggage and a place to travel with it, but you can feel good knowing that your votes are converted in donations for projects around the country.
JetBlue, which has adopted the motto “You above all,” speaks to the company’s initiative to make customer service its most direct target. JetBlue has used traditional and social media marketing to promote its commitment to customer satisfaction and has had great success with platforms such as Facebook to drive engagement. Because of this success, JetBlue is converting its fans into donations – something we can all tip our hats to.
Written by: Dane
Dane Fionda is a Copywriter and Marketing Associate for The Discovery Communications Group, and focuses on corporate branding and identity, web copy and editing. Hired in November 2010, Dane’s enthusiasm, creativity and keen editing eye were a welcome addition to the agency. Outside of work, Dane is enjoys trivia nights, road trips, and live shows. Dane holds a double Bachelor of Arts in English and psychology from the University of New Hampshire. You can reach Dane at Dane@discoverycomm.com or call him direct at 603-685-2917.
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