A really striking photo of Nicolas Cage in a Montblanc ad caught my attention the other day. But like most of us, I didn’t bother reading the copy and completely missed the message. It wasn’t until a colleague handed me the ad as a possible example of Marketing For Good that I read the headline “helping others gives success true meaning”. The body copy goes on to explain that Cage and Montblanc “have made a joint commitment to social responsibility” and are supporting the “Heal the Bay” organization which is focused on “saving” the Santa Monica Bay off the coast of California. I think this a smart tactic for a luxury brand when so many others focus on status, encouraging conspicuous consumption as a “you deserve it” reward. I wish Mont Blanc had revealed how much they were donating rather than saying “a significant donation” and that Cage announced that he was deferring all payment from Mont Blanc directly to Heal the Bay. Regardless, I applaud Mont Blanc for trying this approach and I hope they sell a lot of their TimeWalker Chronograph Automatics (that’s the watch Cage is wearing). Perhaps other luxury goods makers will watch this effort and wind up with Marketing for Good campaigns of their own. Time will tell.