Far Better to Give

Sony Style, the consumer electronics manufacturer's New York store on Madison and 55th Street, has announced that its holiday windows theme this year will be “Give a little, get a lot.”

The displays in the six store windows facing Madison Avenue will be created out of food, toys and clothing donated by Sony and nearly two dozen major corporations. Almost all of the items in the display will be donated to charity after the holidays are over.

“We always want to create window displays that are both visually exciting and innovative, and blend entertainment and technology,” said Christine Belich, executive creative director. “But the best part of the holiday window displays this year is that they directly help several non-profit organizations throughout the country.”

Similar holiday themes will be installed at Sony Style's Metreon Center store in San Francisco and the Sony Gallery on Chicago's Michigan Avenue.

One window will show a rooftop on Christmas Eve with the “shingles” made of 100 pairs of folded jeans from Lucky Brand Dungarees. Another shows a Yuletide house made of Kellogg's Fruit Loop boxes; the shingles are made of boxes of Cocoa Krispies. A snowman in the front of the house is fashioned out of Hershey's Kisses. The New York skyline in the background is created out of board games and books.

Nike sent 491 pairs of sneakers. Kellogg's sent nearly 700 boxes of cereal, 300 boxes of Pop Tarts, 200 boxes of Rice Krispie Treats and 360 boxes of Famous Amos cookies. Kraft Foods sent 500 boxes of Jell-O, 200 jars of Tang, 500 bags of Kraft Marshmallows, 300 boxes of Stove Top Stuffing, 300 boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and 150 cans of Maxwell House coffee. The Pepsi-Cola Co. gave roughly 200 cases and six-packs of Dole fruit juices, soda, Lipton Ice Tea, Aquafina bottled water and Starbucks Frappuccino. Sony Electronics itself donated a selection of radios, televisions and CD Walkman Players. Sony Music Entertainment donated assorted CDs. Hasbro, Inc. supplied 100 Destiny's Child's dolls. J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez sent a shipment of 100 t-shirts.

Other companies that donated products were H.J. Heinz, Rocket Girl/Rocket 898, Cotton Inc., Gold Toe Socks and Madelaine Chocolate Novelties.

In New York, the food items will be donated to City Harvest, a New York food rescue operation; clothing items will be given to Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey; and toys will be presented to the Association to Benefit Children. In Chicago, all items will be donated to the Chicago Cares charity. And in San Francisco, the goods will be given to the Homeless Children's Network, a San Francisco collaborative providing support to homeless families.