There are marketing gimmicks, and there are marketing game changers.
Blake Mycoskie's Tom's Shoes is not just a game changer...
it's a world changer.
How's this for a simple offer you can't refuse: for every pair of Tom's you buy, the company GIVES AWAY a corresponding pair to a needy child somewhere in the developing world (Blake started with Argentina, and has expanded the program into Africa).
No fine print, no "portion of the proceeds"; just a non-nonsense, bold, feel-good Pow! of a marketing idea. In fact, calling it a marketing idea almost cheapens it. This is the soul of a new way of doing business.
The shoes themselves are comfy slip-ons, replicas of traditional Agentinian farmer alpargatas. Think Espadrilles and you get the point.
Never mind the point; get the shoes themselves by heading over to the Tom's site.
Your feet will thank you for it. And so will some grateful child thousands of miles away.