How Collaborating Moustaches are Generating Millions of Dollars for Men’s Health

In 2003 Adam Garone was having a beer with his friends talking about the peculiarity of many things consistently moving in cycles - In and out of fashion. Except for one thing. The moustache. That never seemed to achieve revival.

That became a challenge to bring the moustache back. The rules were easy and simple. Each Movember one should:

• Start the month clean-shaving
• Rock a mustache
• Come together at the end of the month and celebrate the best and worst moustache 

This quickly became a big success between Adam and his participating friends. However, little recognition for their “stupid” game was shown from their families, friends and employers not least.

This facilitated an obvious need to legitimize this activity so the fun could continue. The solution was found in using proceeds from the moustache-movement to support men’s health in terms of prostate cancer. The tagline became “Changing the face of men’s health”

Despite little initial support from formal prostate organizations they managed to gather 450 men who collaboratively grew moustaches and donated $54,000 to the Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation - The single biggest donation ever received by the foundation at this time.

After almost running out of funds in 2006 the moustache movement managed to bring together 450,000 men in 2010 raising an impressive amount of $77 million!

Below is an example of the Movember website. You basically set up a profile, upload your moustache and then you are ready to share with your friends and receive donations!

Let's Collaborate and grow some moustaches!

Watch Adam tell his story of the Movember movement in this TED video.