Vans Says Take The Day Off & Do Something Creative

Nov. 21 is scheduled to be the first Annual Vans Checkerboard Day. Vans is observing the day by cutting a $1 million check to Imagination.org, a non-profit that produces programs to foster youth creativity around the globe. Also coming up, a Vans sponsored eBay action that will raise more funds for the Los Angeles-headquartered Imagination.org.

Vans also wanted to make a statement that creativity is not just for kids. It is closing its Costa Mesa, Calif. headquarters on Nov. 21, and recommending that employees take the day off and do something creative. It could mean joining an Imagination chapter, collecting recyclables and make art of it, making a music video, or creating a collage, according to Checkerboard Day website.

In an essay on LinkedIn, Vans global brand president Doug Palladini, hoped that friends and fans of the brand would put on Vans Checkerboard styles and flex their creative muscles.

“We may not be the biggest brand in our space, but we are the most connected to youth culture and we focus on creating meaningful, emotional connections that build lifetime brand loyalty unlike anyone else. Take our High School Vans Custom Culture art competition, ongoing House of Vans workshops, and global Skate Clinics, to name just a few. Everything we do is viewed through the lens of “does this enable creative self-expression?” he wrote.