FHM Hosted Charity Drives and Auctions
The magazine occasionally partnered with charities, auctioning off signed memorabilia or hosting fundraising events tied to its celebrity contacts, but it didn't always succeed at drawing readers who wanted something more than just an eyeful of bikini models. It is important to note that FHM was a men's lifestyle magazine focused on entertainment and style, not politics or social activism. When it came time for the annual FHM charity drive in May 2014, however, they decided to take their philanthropic efforts one step further.
The goal of the "FHM Goes Red" campaign was to raise awareness about heart disease in women. The editors enlisted help from several celebrities who were close to their hearts, including Carmen Electra, Jessica Alba, Milla Jovovich, Scarlett Johansson, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Each star donated items for sale at auction that would benefit cardiology research at the American Heart Association. These included sports jerseys signed by the likes of Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, as well as personal messages written on white cards.
While the magazine did not achieve its target goal of $500,0000, they still managed to make over $300,0000 thanks largely to the participation of these four high-profile actresses. In addition to selling merchandise and accepting cash donations through online portals like PayPal, they also teamed up with popular dating app Bumble to host a virtual speed dating event where participants could meet potential love interests while contributing money toward medical research. By combining fashion with philanthropy, FHM proved that it could be more than just eye candy for men.
Despite this success story, future charity drives hosted by FHM tended to fizzle out due to lack of public interest or financial support.
When model Bar Refaeli came aboard for an AIDS fundraiser in 2016, she failed to bring much attention to the cause. She wasn't even featured prominently on the cover of the issue, which instead focused on her wedding day. This caused some readers to question why they were being asked to support such a cause without any real commitment from their favorite celebrities. It is also worth mentioning that several other magazines have done similar charity work over the years with greater results (e.g., Cosmopolitan's annual "Cosmo Body" campaign).
FHM's attempts at hosting charity drives were admirable but ultimately fell short due to poor planning and execution. The magazine should have given its editors better resources and training so they could properly prepare and promote each event beforehand.
It might have been wise to partner with organizations outside of the entertainment industry who had stronger reputations among potential donors and volunteers.
What matters most is that these efforts highlighted an important aspect of modern-day feminism: women can take charge of their own healthcare needs and deserve support regardless of gender or celebrity status.