December 1, 2011

MOvember Madness

When a YouTube video goes viral, it's easy to share on Facebook, Re-tweet on Twitter and email it around to your friends.  But a moustache going viral?  Well yes, that's what Movember is all about! Chances are, you've seen a man sporting a Mo during the month of November in an effort to raise awareness for men's health.

So how does it work? Once a man (or a team of men) register on their website, they start off November 1st clean shaven.  For the rest of the month, these men trim, shave and wax (!) their 'staches into a work of art. They become walking/talking billboards for the entire month, boasting their support for Movember with a simple MOustache.

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Lisa Potter, PR Manager for Movember's USA and Canada regions:

What is Movember and what does it have to do with mustaches?
Movember started in Melbourne, Australia in 2003. The first year it was with a few friends as a joke to bring back the moustache. Realizing that the moustache was a true conversation starter - and to legitimize it - the group added a charity component in 2004.  That year, 450 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas (as they're called) raised $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Wow, that sounds amazing! So Movember went Global?
Movember has grown into a truly global movement. It's now an official charity in over 10 countries with almost two million participants. To date, we have raised over $275 million ($100.6 million in 2011) for the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. 


That's really an accomplishment to be proud of - simply amazing!  So with the growth of your cause on an international level, how has pop-culture/technology had an impact on Movember?
This year we’ve been amazed at the grassroots growth of the cause. We were thrilled when Google Chrome approached us to do a video for us. We were honored to be in the company of 'the Biebs', Lady Gaga, and Angry Birds.  We have some cool ways to make fundraising easy this year, including our “Recruit a Mo” and “Adopt a Mo” Facebook apps, as well as the Movember Mobile app for the iPhone and Android.


"We don’t pay for advertising and we don’t ‘seed’ celebs," said Potter. "We want people to participate in Movember because it’s a fun way to support men’s health."  

So who participated in Movember this year?  Here are some highlights of the Mo Bros!
And lastly - some of my Facebook Friends!





For more information about Movember, statistics about men's health and ways you can donate, please visit www.Movember.com.

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