The luxury watches brand Hublot is set to make its own contribution to the global water-saving movement that is being actively supported by many eco-minded fashion labels like Giorgio Armani, H&M and Levi’s to name a few. The brand has teamed up with the legendary electronic music band Depeche Mode to benefit the non-profit organization charity:water by raising funds to bring drinking water to the poorest countries.

The British telecom company O2 has tapped street artist Slinkachu to create three impressive artworks in order to promote the 20 Years of War Child exhibition, supported by O2. The pieces, which reflect the creator’s signature «little people» approach, are developed to raise awareness of the War Child charity’s missions and celebrate its 20th anniversary. The international charity unites artists and musicians, who contribute to the cause by raising funds to tackle problems of children living in war-torn countries.

Samsung, which has been taking on its rivals Apple and BlackBerry in its recent advertising campaigns, now switches to a friendlier way to promote its Galaxy Note II smartphone. The brand is collaborating with fashion designer Alexander Wang on “the industry’s first co-created print inspired by crowdsourced sketches and images,” created using the Samsung device. The new partnership has both a fashion and a philanthropic twist: the collectively created design will be featured on a limited-edition bag set to be launched in key select markets across the globe to raise money for the Art Start charity, which helps change lives of at-risk children through art.

When social networking platforms and fashion brands unite for good, it may lead to something unexpectedly meaningful, as it has been the case with NY designer and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg, who teams up with the U.S. non-profit vision benefits company, VSP and NYC Mission Society in a move to engage Pinterest users in a social charitable project #PinToGiveAndGet.

Social gaming company Zynga has launched its holiday philanthropic campaign, which connects virtual and real world. It kicked off “Oh, What Fun!” initiative, which helps to collect money for buying toys for children from less fortunate families in the USA. The new campaign invites gamers to contribute to the cause while playing their favourite online games—from November 28 to December 31, all the money from in-game purchase price will be donated to Toys for Tots (players’ purchases are not tax-deductible).

Gillette is celebrating men’s pride, moustache or Mo’s, by launching a new activation dedicated to male’s facial hair. November is the month to raise awareness of very important issue of men’s health and prostate cancer, and big brands along with other related organizations launch campaigns revolving around the Movember (Mo+November). As part of the national US program, Gillette is launching the eMO’gency Styler Tour, “a quest to help men master their most stylish Mo’s,” and launches a tab on its Facebook page, inviting male audience to discover more facial hair styles and contribute to the good cause.

The article is written by Darren Foley, Managing Director at Pearlfisher, London

December. Presents are lit up in every shop window, emblazoned across every advert and in the front of everyone’s mind. Every magazine and editorial page recommends the best Christmas gifts. Over recent years, we have seen the rise of the alternative ‘charity gift’ and, as Present Aid states, «it’s the gift that keeps giving». However, more recently, an extended range of brands have also woken up to an altruistic approach, challenging the traditional charity giving language and aesthetic.