Morpheus Media participated, once again, in New York Cares Day.  Being able to experience the volunteerism of this day in New York is one of our favorites!  In November we helped PS 19 Asher Levy improve their educational environment by painting their outdoor play area, planting flowers, cleaning classrooms and desks, organizing the teacher’s Resource Center and painting and posting murals around the school.  We hope the students were as excited to see their updated school as much as we were to help change it!

May I have your attention, please.  We’d like to offer up a round of applause to… our clients. At the Luxury Lab’s most recent L2 conference, held on October 12th,  several Morpheus clients received some much deserved limelight.

Morpheus Client Mentions:

• Louis Vuitton ranks number three, and remains a “Genius” brand on the Digital IQ Index.

• Marc Jacobs ranks 21, and lands in the “Gifted” class.  The brand is regarded as a “Geo-local pioneer with its ‘Fashion Victim’ Foursquare badge.” Marc Jacobs also received props for its iPad initiative: “September issue features designer and allows users to shop products from the latest campaign.”

• Bottega Veneta’s site re-launch “provided forward momentum.”

• Tag Heuer: “This high ranking watch brand is elevated by a commerce-centric site and its iPhone app for the Monaco V4.”

• David Yurman “scores points on site for top-notch customer service.”

Download L2’s Luxury 2010 Digital IQ Report (PDF)

Tomorrow night marks the return of New York City’s Fashion’s Night Out —Anna Wintour’s plan to revitalize retail sales with a night of eating, drinking, and of course, shopping.  Here at Morpheus, the excitement is palpable.  Of the 1,000 retailers participating in FNO’s this year (that’s 200 more than last year, by the way), twelve of them are Morpheus clients. And you best believe they’re going all out! From appearances by some of the hottest models, actors, and DJs to delicious takeaway treats like handmade crepes, and gigantic photographs, these are twelve spots not to be missed. 

Be sure to check if each event is public before you head over, some events are invite only. We hope to see you there!

Dior: In addition to a special Dior Couture exhibition from 7- 10pm, keep your eyes open for renowned fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue editor Phyllis Posnick, and It-girl model Karlie Kloss.

Michael Kors: The Michael Kors New York flagship at 667 Madison Avenue will play host to TONY Award winner Idina Menzel, who will sing a few songs with Mr. Kors himself!

Donna Karan and Belvedere Vodka: Come after 9pm, when Donna Karan will be hanging out, sipping Belvedere cocktails as DJ Reborn and Leigh Lezark take turns spinning.  There’s also popcorn, pool, and exclusive access to the DKNY delicious Core Club.

Bergdorf Goodman:  Stroll beautiful Bergdorf Goodman like you’ve never seen it before. Enjoy tunes by DJs  AndrewAndrew, Becka Diamond, Johnny Dynell and T.C.Meggs & Gunnie.  Take a photo wearing clothes from your favorite designers.  Scout out personal appearances from Jason Wu, Tom Ford, Simon Spurr, Micheal Bastian, Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, and Patrick McMullan. Maybe you’ll see one of them doing karaoke on the third floor!

Bottega Veneta:  Expect two delectable treats: the release of a special new bag and a guest appearance by Rosario Dawson!

Fendi- Behold a gorgeous picture exhibition by Karl Lagerfeld.

Juicy Couture -  Guest Designer Erin Fetherston will offer style tips followed by a special performance by Metric at 8:30pm.

Sephora – Meet Lancome video makeup artist Michelle Phan. Appearances by Josie Maran, Kat Von D, Tarina Tarantino. Hairstyling by Sultra.

BCBG – Enjoy Handmade Crepes prepared by Max and Lubov Azria, champagne and hors d’oeuvres while you shop the new collection. Plus, pay a special tribute to New York as Max and Lubov honor five women from the New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s benefit fund.

Lord & Taylor: Complimentary makeovers (and new Facebook profile pictures!) for all.  Too many guest appearances to name, including some of today’s hottest models, designers, photographers, and matchmakers. Stud Your UGG event from 5-7.  Spend $100 and have your photon taken by noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker. And so much more!

Marc Jacobs- Have your picture taken next to the giant BANG bottle (just like Marc did for the ad campaign, only you don’t have to take your clothes off). Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Fallon will be at the Mercer store.

View Morpheus Media Fashion’s Night Out in a larger map

Morpheus is extraordinarily proud and excited to congratulate our Grand Marnier team on winning a Stevie Award for the “La Vie Grand Marnier” Online Campaign.  Morpheus strategists used an integrated approach including Display, Paid Search and Social Media tactics to create an engaging campaign recognized industry-wide for its stylishness and skillful execution.

Congratulations team on receiving this prestigious award!

Donating your locks to charity isn’t the only way to help others via human hair. Last week, a number of Morpheus men participated in #StacheWeek, bravely sporting manicured mustaches to earn money for Smile Train, a charity that fixes cleft lips and palates for children in developing countries. As a reward for the extra time spent grooming, a donation was made on behalf of each participating team member.

The mustaches are off, and the totals are in. Through generous donations from Morpheus team members and some teachers at P.S. 169, a total of $1,352 was raised for Smile Train!

So, was it worth rocking the ’stache for a week? Says Dave, “We were a little skeptical of growing mustaches at first, but we were raising money for an amazing cause. The team embraced their new staches and we had a good time with it….creepy but good.”

More photos from #StacheWeek can be found on the Morpheus Facebook fan page.

This past Saturday, April 24th, the New York Cares organization hosted one of its annual events, Hands On New York Day.  Hands On New York Day is a day where volunteers go out into the five boroughs and paint murals, plant trees and flowers, pick up trash and participate in other activities which enliven and beautify the local community.  Morpheus Media participated this year, sending out 6 volunteers to the Brooklyn Navy Shipyard in South Williamsburg where Morphites worked side by side with 7 other organizations and companies to paint over 750 feet of jersey barriers.  The barriers, which protect bikers and pedestrians from high traffic, now greet community members with pictures of nuts, bolts, navy ships, helmets and other tools, fusing the historic shipyard with the Williamsburg community.  Working together, the site was completed in a record 3 hours and passersby who saw the completed project were sure to thank all of the volunteers for their hard work.

It’s a busy month for Morpheus Media co-founder Shenan Reed, who is scheduled to speak at five digital marketing events around the globe.  Catch her in New York, San Francisco, and London for a download on all things digital:

April 27: Shenan will be hosting a panel for Colgate’s Parents Network (Private)

May 4: Shenan to speak at Harper’s Bazaar national sales meeting (Private)

May 11: Shenan to host 212 Meet the Marketer: Luxury panel in New York

May 15: Shenan to host a panel at the TIE conference in San Francisco

May 18: Shenan to speak at Luxury Interactive in London

Join her on Twitter: @Shenan

Morpheus Media Mustache Week for Smile Train (Before)

As of last Wednesday, April 14th, the men of Morpheus Media quit using their razors for the line of hair under their noses known as the mustache. It’s not a mass fashion statement, or an embarrassing, public attempt to separate the boys from the men. No, this is all being done for a noble cause. A donation to Smile Train will be made for each team member that keeps the mustache until Friday. Smile Train is a charity that fixes cleft lips and palates for children in developing countries whose parents cannot afford the necessary surgeries.

The rules!:  Participants must have stopped shaving completely last Wednesday morning. On Monday morning, the scruffy bunch must shave everything but the mustache areas. Until Friday, the beard and neck areas must be clean shaven.

Additionally, this little project makes for a very fun tongue-twister. Try saying this ten times fast: Mustached Men of Morpheus Media.

Check our Morpheus Media Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook for #StacheWeek updates throughout the week.  Donations can be made at the Smile Train website.

For Christmas this year, Morpheus made a donation in lieu of gifts on behalf of friends, clients and employees to Charity: Water.

We just received our first update!

A well is being dug to provide a community in Ethiopia with fresh, clean water. The well will have a plaque that says “Sponsored by Morpheus Media, USA” and in about 12 – 18 months we will share photographs of the finished well and a link to Google Earth with its actual location. (Pretty nifty!)

Here at Morpheus, we’re happy to think of the people that this well will help, the lives that will be  improved and those that may even possibly be saved. Every little bit helps!

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

On Saturday, October 17^th, Morphites went to PS 59 school in Brooklyn to spend the day volunteering for New York Cares Day. The site, which was also led by a Morpheus volunteer, is a school that encourages students to participate in their community at-large, either through student government, community service programs or voting on decisions that affect the school community on a regular basis. Together with two other companies, Morpheus volunteers helped beautify the school and encourage active learning. We were very excited to contribute to this event and kept our spirits up despite the weather conditions and intensive labor. However, despite the fun we had, nothing was more satisfying as the look on some students’ faces as they saw the results. We are already looking forward to next year.