DO GOOD by The Bicester Collection, a family of 11 distinctive shopping destinations in Europe and China and the Smiley Company, a top global licensing enterprise, are embarking this summer on a mission to support women and children.

DO GOOD is The Bicester Collection’s initiative focused on supporting ten charities that promote and progress the self-empowerment of women and children, both locally and globally.

All 11 Villages in The Bicester Collection are committed to the programme which supports Adream, Brides do Good, charity: water, IntoUniversity, L’Envol, Make-A-Wish, SeriousFun Children’s Network, Women for Women International and World Connect.

Popping up across The Bicester Collection’s 11 Villages, guests can look out for the yellow Smiley carts and pop-up boutiques filled with limited edition Smiley X DO GOOD products. The first drop, ‘Summer Smiles’, launched on 1 July and features a unisex capsule of tees, hats, sliders and water bottles, plus a fully sustainable oversized hero tote. Complementing the collection are fun beach essentials from SunnyLife and Dock & Bay.

Drop two, ‘Bag to School’, will land on 12 August with an exclusive backpack and back to school accessories, complemented by an emotional intelligence (EQ) education programme with Smiley Movement.

The Smiley X DO GOOD capsule collection is designed to bring smiles to all the family, retailing between £2 to £60. 100% of the proceeds from all sales will be donated directly to The Bicester Collection’s ten DO GOOD charity partners.

“After the challenging last couple of years, what better way to navigate out of these times with this campaign that aims to reverse a global smile deficit, share positivity and fill the world with smiles in 2022. We are delighted to work with The Bicester Collection during our 50th anniversary year, aligning the campaign with their DO GOOD charity efforts and generating funds for those in need whilst spreading smiles across the globe.” Nicolas Loufrani, CEO, The Smiley Company.

“With all the uncertainty in the world, it is important to remember that we can unite in times of division, and a smile can unite all people. Smiley is a beacon of happiness, and we’re delighted to collaborate with them in their 50th anniversary year. ‘Take the Time to Smile and DO GOOD’ represents our shared vision and a commitment by The Bicester Collection to cultivate a happier, more conscious world and Unlock Futures for women and children wherever they’re born,” said Chantal Khoueiry, Chief Culture Officer, The Bicester Collection.

The campaign will run through to October. It will launch in all of The Bicester Collection’s Villages in Europe first, and then extend to the Villages in China. Guests visiting The Bicester Collection will be invited to ‘Take the Time to Smile and DO GOOD’. Smiley will help spread feel-good messages and smile-worthy moments as the campaign unfolds amid The Bicester Collection’s sunny open-air settings, through an exciting programme of art, music, food, and retail theatre.

From July, all of the Villages within The Bicester Collection will be adorned in bright yellow smiles, creating moments of Instagrammable joy for guests. Additionally, at each Village there are a variety of Smiley activations for guests to enjoy and take part in the movement.

Bicester Village
At Bicester Village, near London, an exclusive Smiley pop-up will stock a range of Smiley products for guests to purchase, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Village’s DO GOOD charity partners.
These partners include Brides do Good, a charity that aims to end child marriage and unlock brighter futures for women and girls, one wedding dress at a time; IntoUniversity, which provides local learning centres where young, underprivileged people are inspired to achieve; Smart Works, who provide clothing and coaching for unemployed women to give them the confidence they need to reach their full potential; and World Connect: a charity that invests directly in local communities in the Global South to deliver sustainable impact and growth.
A selection of special-edition Smiley food and drink will also be available in the Village.

La Vallée Village
La Vallée Village, located just outside Paris, will host a Smiley summer pop-up within its private suite, The Apartment, which will stock a range of Smiley products for guests to purchase, including tote bags featuring the famous smile emoticon, bucket hats, t-shirts, beach towels, water bottles, pool rings and beach balls, with all proceeds going to the DO GOOD charities.

Fidenza Village
Fidenza Village, located near Milan, launches a summer of live music with its Sound Festival, running from June to August, while also bringing smiles to guests’ faces with the Smiley charity collaboration. The festival will see ten musical events take place, with performances from more than 40 artists, as part of the Village’s summer celebrations dedicated to music and entertainment under the ‘Take the Time to Smile and DO GOOD’ mantra.

The collaboration will see Smiley’s iconic design taking over Fidenza Village with a dedicated pop-up boutique, installations and a Smiley-themed ice cream. Guests will be able to purchase limited-edition Smiley X DO GOOD products and make donations in support of the Village’s charity partner, Make-A-Wish® Italia, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

La Roca Village
At La Roca Village, located close to Barcelona, a pop-up boutique with a bold and optimistic interior design will house the special Smiley X DO GOOD collection. Guests visiting the Village during the summer will be able to make a donation to the Make-A-Wish foundation and continue granting the wishes of children suffering from serious illnesses whose families face difficult situations, such as the uncertainty of a child’s illness and the gruelling treatments which they must undergo.

Las Rozas Village
Las Rozas Village, located close the Spanish capital, Madrid, reaffirms its commitment to supporting emerging talent by collaborating with artist iamLaia, who will curate a new pop-up where a selection of the Smiley X DO GOOD capsule collection will be sold. iamLaia will also help the Village in its support of the Make-A-Wish foundation by creating an artwork in the form of a collaborative wall in the Village. Seriously ill children supported by the foundation will be invited to use the wall to express their creativity as a form of therapy aimed at improving their wellbeing.

Maasmechelen Village
At Maasmechelen Village, located in Belgium, close to the crossroads where Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany meet, the Smiley celebrations launched on 8 July, including a summer pop-up boutique where a selection of limited-edition Smiley X DO GOOD products will be sold, with all proceeds donated to the Village’s local charity partner Make-A-Wish Belgium-Flanders. Located next to the Village’s popular Italian restaurant, Giuliano, the boutique will be staffed by volunteers from Value Retail.
Nearby, guests will also be able to rediscover the Village’s beloved Manneken Pis replica, which will be painted yellow and feature a huge Smiley icon to mark the occasion.

Kildare Village
At Kildare Village, located near Dublin, guests will be smiling from ear to ear this summer, with a number of Smiley activities planned. Smiley-covered benches will be found throughout the Village, while guests will be able to follow the famous faces along the ground to the Smiley carts, as well as enjoying Smiley murals created by artists from the all-female Minaw Collective. Guests can also enjoy Smiley coffees and spot the famous icon on restaurant menus; donations will be made to the Village’s partner charity Barretstown when guests order dishes marked with a Smiley. Guests who are unable to enjoy the Smiley experience in person can send a smile with a bespoke Smiley postcard, and be in with a chance of winning some great prizes through a ‘Count The Smileys’ competition. – TradeArabia News Service