Ties Never Broken

FATHERS INCORPORATED ANNOUNCES CHRIS BROUSSARD TO SERVE AS NATIONAL CHAIR AND SPOKESPERSON FOR RESPONSIBLE MEN CAMPAIGN

Chris Broussard to represent the effort of the “Ties Never Broken” Blue Bow Tie Campaign

NEW YORK, NY, October 4, 2011–Insipried by President Obama’s 2010 Father’s Day address, Fathers Incorporated (FI) has marked 2011 as the Year of Responsible Men. Fathers Incorporated; a not-for-profit organization in New York is committed to eliminating fatherlessness and increasing the commitment of men to become mentors. Over the last several months the campaign has garnered international attention and is supported by the White House and several major urban cities. The Ties Never Broken campaign is symbolized by the social marketing icon of a “blue bow tie.”

“I am excited to serve in this honorable capacity of saving our children. I’ve spend my life striving to be a responsible father and man; and I find it unacceptable what’s happening to our children because of the disengagement of fathers and able bodied men,” say Chris Broussard.

For years FI has been working in the field of Responsible Fatherhood; with the goal of creating effective service models to serve men,” says Kenneth Braswell; Executive Director of Fathers Incorporated. “Our biggest struggle in combating both father absence and the lack of viable mentors; is our inability to raise the societal level of conciseness regarding the importance of responsible male involvement and the need for new mentors.”

“It is our hope to garner the support of other influential men in sports, entertainment, business, and in our faith-based communities to champion our efforts. Particularly those who have played impactful fatherhood roles in television and screen; as well as those who have a passion for elevating the image of responsible fatherhood and family values,” says Broussard.

Fathers Incorporated is embarking in several projects in the next two years that include working with Chris Broussard’s organization K.I.N.G. to inspire the participation of the faith based community of men; “Power Down;” a campaign to encourage parents to acknowledge their children’s technology habits and several other forums, events and activities to highlight the importance of father involvement.

The Idea (Personal Story as told by Kenneth Braswell)

One day last year, I was watching my wife dress my son for church and his outfit had a bowtie. I thought to myself, first, how handsome he looked, but second; what a noticeable and visible way to set an expectation for him. It was at that moment that the Blue Bow Tie Concept was born. When I brought to concept to my FI partners, it was immediately accepted and we collectively realized that there was no better icon to represent the promotion of responsible fatherhood and mentoring then the Bow tie. In our conversations we discussed how the bow-tie sets a standard and expectation; not only for the person who wears it, but the people who see it. It commands respect, not just by the nature of who is wearing it, but how they carry themselves while doing so.

I also remember some years ago, when I covered the Harlem Boys Choir as a journalist, how proud those young men from storied backgrounds carried themselves and that the way they dressed said everything about who they were. Contrary to perceptions of bowties, there was nothing elitist about these young African American males from Harlem, USA. Bow tie wearing can be a notable characteristic for an individual. Men’s clothier Jack Freedman told the New York Times that wearing a bow tie “is a statement maker” that identifies a person as an individual.

Famous People Increase Visibility of Bowties

According to the Eastern Pennsylvania Business Journal., when a celebrity is noticed wearing a bow tie, it can affect bow tie sales; sales see an improvement when the accessory is associated with younger celebrities such as Tucker Carlson and Eagles football star Dhani Jones. When Raj Bhakta wore one during his stint on The Apprentice, haberdashers reported customers asking for a bow tie which looked like his. Similarly, after Matt Smith made his debut as the bow tie-wearing Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, Topman reported a significant increase in demand for bow ties (from 3% of all tie sales to 14%).

The Color Blue

The color blue is a natural for boys and men. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is also a masculine color; according to studies, it is highly accepted among males.

Final Point

Keep in mind, the concept speaks to bow-tie pins that people will wear on their lapels. By marketing standards a bow-tie is a much better marketable symbol, than a neck-tie.

Besides, The Penguin, Krusty the Klown, Boo Boo Bear; Donald Duck; Huckleberry Hound; Magilla Gorilla; The Cat in the Hat and Mickey Mouse all wear bow-ties  Even this handsome young man (Kenneth Braswell – Grade 6 – cira 1967) wore a bowtie! Mothers and Fathers find the bowtie to be distinguished, respectable, classy and stylist.