“Buy one, give one” initiatives are increasingly common forms of corporate generosity, but it wasn't until recently that we began seeing them involving children. Much the way Happy Blankie lets recipients of its animal blankets help decide where the donated ones get sent, so Texas-based clothing maker Whitten Grey aims to let the girls who wear its dresses participate in donating similar ones to girls in far-off lands.

Through Whitten Grey's Project Little Grey Dress, buyers of any eco-friendly dress from the company receive a unique code along with their purchase. When they enter that code online, they can then choose what country they'd like to donate a dress to—currently, the choices are Liberia, Guatemala, Malawi and Zimbabwe. After choosing the colour of the dress they'd like to send, girls can then enter a message they'd like to include for the girl who receives it.

Generosity has become increasingly important to the Generation G masses, so it stands to reason they'd want their children to learn that virtue too. Purveyors of other kids' products, large and small: time to bring some charity-minded capabilities to your own pint-sized patrons...? (Related: Buy a onesie, donate one to a baby in need.)

Website: www.whittengrey.com/give/
Contact: give@whittengrey.com

Spotted by: Inhabitots via Judy McRae

Fashionistas love exclusivity, but usually it's all about who you know, or how much you're willing to spend. Creating a twist on limited editions is The Red Rail, a new Dutch fashion label that's only available to blood donors.

The first Red Rail collection was presented at the Amsterdam Fashion Week last Friday, and consists of 20 unique outfits by 18 up-and-coming designers. Since the number of items is limited, The Red Rail will use a lottery to pick 20 winners. Over the next six months, people can select their favourite outfit, donate blood, and then send an email to theredrail@stichtingnobel.nl, listing their donor ID and the item they'd like to win. The lottery will take place in January 2011.

Initiated by the Nobel Foundation and sponsored by the DOEN Foundation, the project was developed to enlist a new (younger) generation of blood donors, and to heighten awareness of the need to donate blood. According to Nivel, a Dutch research institute for health care, it's likely that the Netherlands will be facing a shortage of blood donors within three years. The Red Rail hopes to convey the message that a blood donation is a personal, altruistic gift, and one worth giving.

Website: www.theredrail.com
Contact: theredrail@stichtingnobel.nl

Spotted by: Yu-Lan van Alphen and Nicole Rietvelt

We've seen airports engage consumers with everything from free dancing lessons and light therapy to a four-storey slide that rewards duty-free spending. The latest innovation? Gatwick Airport's Runway Models contest.

Launched in late May by the UK airport and Storm Model Management, the Runway Models contest invites Gatwick travellers to submit a photo of themselves either online or by taking advantage of the dedicated photo booths in the airport's departure lounges. The closing date is 12 July; all entries are posted online, where they're available for public voting. Once all the entries are in, Storm's model scouts will choose four guys and four girls to go through to the next stage, while public votes will choose an additional guy and girl to advance; those chosen by the public will also win GBP 500 in Gatwick retail shopping vouchers. The Final 10 will then be invited to a “model bootcamp” and photo shoot where they'll spend the day with industry professionals learning the modelling basics as well as having their hair and makeup done. The guy and girl that impress Storm the most will be selected as the final winners of a year's “New Faces” contract and a debut at London Gatwick Fashion Week in August. Gatwick, meanwhile, will donate GBP 1 to the Great Ormond Street Hospital charity for every photo uploaded.

There are myriad ways to impress and engage consumers, but sometimes there's just nothing like a good, old-fashioned contest; if it can tap into consumers' vanity, so much the better. Beat that, traditional advertising! ;-) (Related: Lottery contest appeals to dog owners' gravanity — Contest replaces ad campaign for Nissan launch — Contest asks fans to design their own doughnut.)

Website: www.gatwickevents.com/runwaymodels/
Contact: feedback@gatwickairport.com

Spotted by: airlinetrends.com

There's no shortage of bath and body products made with organic ingredients or otherwise positioned as earth and human friendly. Hoping to stand out in that increasingly crowded marketplace, a new German company is taking things a step further: instead of a regular brand name, it operates under a message: Stop The Water While Using Me.

Stop The Water currently sells shampoo (EUR 13) and shower gel (EUR 12) through its online store, with toothpaste in the works (EUR 8). All products are made with organic and/or natural ingredients, packaged in biodegradable containers, and manufactured with sustainability in mind. But the standout feature is that message, reminding people to switch off the tap while lathering up.

Managed by ad executive Stefan Kolle, Hamburg-based Stop The Water was shortlisted for a 2010 Cannes Lion and is currently seeking retailers to sell its products. Whether or not you sell bath products, the concept of message-as-brand is worth a brainstorm. (Related: Smart devices help households monitor their energy use.)

Website: www.stopthewaterwhileusingme.com
Contact: hello@stop-the-water-while-using-me.com

Spotted by: NOTCOT

It wasn't too long ago that we wrote about T-Post for a second time—the focus then was its augmented reality t-shirt—yet now here we are covering the innovative company again. The reason this time? Looks like the creative minds behind the Swedish wearable magazine are the latest to succumb to the “random acts of kindness” trend we've been following for some time.

Last month T-Post kicked off its Real-Life Superhero Contest in the hopes of encouraging participants to do something good for society. Launched to coincide with the magazine's May issue—entitled “I Am Shining Star” and designed to highlight what T-Post says is a growing, modern-day superhero trend—the contest asked entrants to don a costume and then take to the streets to help others. Said costume could include the “I Am Shining Star” shirt or not, as long as the wearer performed some good deed, captured the act on video and posted it on YouTube by midnight on June 14. Winners are now being decided; the video that received the most views by the contest's deadline will win USD 1,000, while a separate winner chosen by T-post's editors—for a combination of factors including costume design, deed performed and overall entertainment value--will win a free T-post subscription for life.

The results are pouring in, and so far it seems clear that kindness really can be good for business. Greed is so yesteryear; time to make generosity the name of your brand's game! (Related: Free umbrellas on rainy days aim to inspire kindness — Canadian credit union gives people ten-dollar bills to give away — Online game focuses on real-world kindness — Clothing brand asks its wearers to be kind — Random acts of kindness for Hyatt's most loyal guests.)

Website: www.t-post.se/hero
Contact: info@t-post.se

Spotted by: Lieke Voermans