This fall, students from 14 colleges across the country will engage in Cotton Incorporated’s second annual Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour. The interactive, mobile marketing event is geared to heighten awareness of and exposure to cotton among college students – also known as “millennials” – that have an annual spending power of nearly $172 billion. The tour will include fun and interactive games, laundry tips and fashion ideas – all set up in tents across campus with a focus on cotton.

“Building on the success of the last year inaugural Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour, we know that this is an excellent way to get students excited about cotton in an environment they enjoy,” said Cotton Incorporated’s Vice President, Consumer Marketing – Strategic Alliances, Paula Rosario. “At this time of their lives, college-age consumers are testing and redefining their likes and dislikes, loyalties and values – and it’s a prime time to educate them about the ease of care and unique fashionability of cotton.”

New to the tour this year is a “denim drive”, called Cotton. From Blue to Green, which will encourage students to donate old denim clothes that will be recycled and converted into insulation called UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation by Bonded Logic (www.bondedlogic.com). The insulation will then be used to help rebuild a primary school in Louisiana that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The UltraTouch donation will be facilitated by Advance Baton Rogue, a non-profit organization established to promote systematic changes in public education that increase the academic achievement of all students.

“By presenting these students with the opportunity to give back to such a worthwhile cause like Hurricane Katrina, we are generating awareness that cotton is a reusable and very sustainable fiber,” Rosario said. “And hopefully, by reaching them at this age, the sustainability aspect of cotton will stay with them for many years.”

As an added incentive for students to donate their denim, the Buckle clothing store (www.buckle.com) will be providing coupons for $5 off the purchase of a pair of jeans for every piece of denim donated. Additionally, the Buckle is also contributing prizes for Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour Shopping Sweepstakes.

Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour will make stops at the following colleges:

· Sep. 25 – University of Colorado, Boulder

· Sep. 28 – Weber State University

· Oct. 2 – Fresno State

· Oct. 5 – University of California, San Diego

· Oct. 9 – Arizona State University

· Oct. 16 – University of New Mexico

· Oct. 20 – Texas State, San Marcos

· Oct. 23 – Texas A&M

· Oct. 26 – Louisiana State University

· Oct. 30 – Florida State University

· Nov. 2 – Middle Tennessee State University

· Nov. 6 – North Carolina State University

To learn more about Cotton’s Dirty Laundry Tour, visit www.accesscotton.com, the official site of the tour. The Web site also features free music downloads, games, sweepstakes, cotton care information, style tips and more – all designed for college students.

About the Cotton Board:

The Cotton Board administers and oversees the Cotton Research & Promotion Program conducted by Cotton Incorporated for America’s cotton producers and importers. For more information about the Cotton Board, visit www.cottonboard.org.