- Elaine Wong

Nivea is returning to the stage as the official sponsor of New York’s New Year’s Eve Times Square festivities. This year, the Beiersdorf-owned brand is asking consumers to upload a picture of themselves kissing or hugging to raise money for charity.

"Nivea XOXO Chain," as the promotion is called, will donate one dollar to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America volunteer organization for each photo uploaded to its site. Nivea, which sells both men’s and women’s personal care products, will then link all of the videos together to create a virtual XOXO chain.

The brand also tapped celebrities and real-life couple Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo as spokespeople of the campaign, which kicks off in the Big Apple tonight. PR, digital and TV advertising, including integration in NBC’s New Year’s Eve programming, hosted by Carson Daly, support.

This marks the second year Nivea is acting as the official sponsor of New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Last year, the brand gave away 25,000 samples from its new Lip Care line, as part of a promotion called “Kiss and Be Kissed.” It’s reprising the sampling effort this year—complete with a Nivea Kiss Platform—and a range of free goodies “to ensure Times Square revelers are irresistibly kissable and huggable at midnight,” per the company.

"Nivea is all about human connection by giving people ‘touchably’ smooth skin and ‘kissably’ beautiful lips, so that’s why we’re ringing in 2010 on the Nivea Kiss Platform to encourage everyone in Times Square and around the world to get closer this New Year’s Eve!" said Nicolas Maurer, Beiersdorf vp of marketing.

Nivea’s campaign this year also includes a partnership with American Eagle. It’s running brand images and promotional messages on the retailer’s billboard above its flagship Times Square store. In addition, couples who have their picture taken in a booth inside the store can also send the photo to friends or have it projected onto American Eagle’s 25-story billboard screen.