Graphic Design USA - Green Newsletter

USING REVERSE ECOLOGY
Patagonia, the outdoor outfitter, tackles Christmas consumerism gone mad with an environmental appeal in print and online that asks people to buy less of everything – including its own products. “Don’t buy this jacket,” says the headline accompanied by a picture of the retailer's R2 coat. Copy explains how manufacture of the jacket – and everything else Patagonia makes – has a negative impact on the environment. “The environmental cost of everything we make is astonishing," the ad reads. “Consider the R2 Jacket shown, one of our best sellers. To make it required 135 liters of water, enough to meet the daily needs (three glasses a day) of 45 people. Its journey from its origin as 60% recycled polyester to our Reno warehouse generated nearly 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, 24 times the weight of the finished product ... as is true of all the things we can make and you can buy, this jacket comes with an environmental cost higher than its price.”

PACKAGE BIZ IS MUSHROOMING
Ecovative Design, just outside of Albany NY, reportedly has landed a contract with Crate and Barrel to make eco-friendly packaging material. The company, started by enterprising Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) graduates, uses mushrooms to make its packaging. Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre say that demand for its earth-sensitive materials will necessitate that the company double its factory space next year. They add: “We’re creating a new paradigm of manufacturing; where high performance, low cost materials are literally grown!”

POUCH POUR
The Clif Family Winery & Farms, famous for organic Clif Bars snacks, has uncorked – make that unscrewed – two wines for outdoorsmen in a new Climber Pouch. Touted as a prime example of innovative wine packaging, the product is promoted on three levels: as a tasty Chardonney (or Cabernet Sauvignon) in its own right; as a convenient option for campers, hikers and climbers; and as an eco-friendly package.The double-gusseted, stand-up flexible pouch, supplied by Astrapouch, is claimed to have an 80% lower carbon footprint and to create 90% less waste than two glass bottles. It’s also lighter to carry than glass, recloses easily, and allows air to be released, which helps the wine stay fresh for up to one month after opening. When the wine’s gone, the package folds down into a fraction of its filled size.
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FROGS ARE GREEN KIDS ART CONTEST
Healthy frogs mean a healthy planet, says Frogs are Green co-founder and brand identity designer Susan Newman.

SEE ALL THE ENTRIES >

XMAS TREE SELLERS GET REAL
Tree growers have long touted their product as the environmentally friendly way to enjoy the Christmas tradition. The theory: new trees are planted every year so the “you’re killing a tree”accusation lobbed at real tree buyers no longer sticks. Now, some tree growers are trying to capitalize on that message with a growing environmentally conscious segment of the population. The Minnesota Christmas Tree Association has adopted a logo and marketing campaign called “Go Green Get Real.” The group also distributes DVDs to growers and educators, and even go into schools around Arbor Day in the spring to talk to kids about their replanting efforts and the other environmental benefits of trees. Rick Dungey, a spokesman for the National Christmas Tree Association, says he still sees fake trees promoted as “saving real trees.” But, says Dungey: “The good news is we know from the research we’ve been doing in consumer polls over the years that especially among younger people, anyone under the age of 30, they just don't fall for stuff like that anymore.”


GDUSA Green Newsletter December 2011
FIVE LEVERS FOR CHANGE For as long as people have been trying to build a sustainable world, marketers have been trying to articulate a simple set of green marketing principles to encourage sustainable practices and sell green products. The latest to try is Unilever, the consumer packaged goods giant, which has released its “five levers for change,” a behavior change model for marketers that it hopes will “encourage sustainable changes in consumer living habits”: (1) Make it understood. (2) Make it easy. (3) Make it desireable. (4) Make it rewarding. (5) Make it a habit. It strikes me that honesty and affordability should fit in somewhere as well, but Unilever’s is a more elegant encapsulation than most of what graphic communicators should strive to express. — Gordon Kaye LEARN MORE >
GREEN IS (NBC)UNIVERSAL Green is Universal, the annual NBCUniversal environmental initiative, promotes internal responsibility, and also seeks to raise awareness among viewers and consumers. Twice a year - Green Week (November) and Earth Week (April) - the public message is that small changes can add up to a big impact. During last month’s Green Week, Wolff Olins’ graphics package debuted to support the initiative. Inspired by woodblock printing and stamping, the new graphics evoke a natural, handmade quality. The iconic peacock feather, so closely associated with NBC, is integrated into the logo as well. Accompanying graphic icons, which include a lightbulb, a tree, and a wifi signal, can be used standalone or together. The accessibility of the graphic is intended to encourage consumers to get involved in green efforts using the resources available to them within their own communities. SEE MORE > GREAT GRAPHIC DESIGN DEGREES LEARN MORE > SUPERMODEL IS GREENEST CELEB The International Green Awards™ has named supermodel Gisele Bündchen as the distinguished overall winner for the first ever Best International Green and Responsible Celebrity Award at the Natural History Museum, London. She bested Paul McCartney and Miguel Bose, the other finalists. Bündchen thanked the throng at what organizers described as “a glittering green gala dinner” and gave a clarion call to all businesses and individuals to protect the rainforest. “I am blessed to have grown up in a family that embraced the importance of nature and community coexisting in harmony,” she said. “My career in the public eye has given me the opportunity to raise awareness about important socio-environmental causes in hopes of promoting a more conscious relationship with our environment.” This accolade coincides with the UN’s International Year of the Forest as forestry protection is an issue of particular significance to the winner. The award carries with it the responsibility to continue to promote a global green agenda through the media. Bündchen’s interest in green issues began when she witnessed the effects of deforestation and water pollution in the Xingu River which, in turn, led to her working with Grendene, a footwear company, to market her flip-flop line to call attention to environmental causes and raise funds to sponsor forest and water related projects in the Amazon and the Atlantic Rainforest. Goodwill Environmental Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme UNEP, she has actively campaigned for a number of issues. GREAT GRAPHIC DESIGNER GIFTS VISIT GDUSA’S THE GOODS > ‘PAPER BECAUSE’ GETS SOCIAL Building on its award-winning “Paper Because” campaign, Domtar Corporation has released a new series of videos promoting the important role paper plays in our lives. The videos will debut on PaperBecause.com, Domtar.com, YouTube and social media sites – relying on satire to highlight how using paper responsibly makes business sense and environmental sense. The 30-second spots take a humorous look at office settings where the pressures to go paperless are taken to ridiculous lengths. In early 2012, new print ads will be added to the campaign in trade and consumer media, while the videos and banner ads will appear on a variety of news websites. “Paper Because has enabled Domtar to communicate the importance of paper to business and opinion leaders,” said Lewis Fix, Vice President of Sustainable Business and Brand Management. “Domtar has long been a leader in sustainable paper production. The Paper Because campaign promotes the responsible use of paper, while also reminding people of just how effective paper is in communicating on logical and emotional levels in so many business and personal settings.” LEARN MORE > CURTIS IN ‘GREEN TO GOLD’ Curtis Packaging, a Connecticut based sustainable manufacturer of paperboard folding cartons, is cited in the recently released Green to Gold Business Playbook by Daniel C. Esty and P. J. Simmons. Esty and Simmons highlight Curtis as an example for companies striving to create a winning environmental strategy and attain a measurable return on investment.The book, which aims to help companies “implement sustainability practices for bottom-line results in every business function,” lists Curtis alongside sustainability giants including General Electric, Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola. “We are honored to be included in such a progressive group of companies in the sequel to arguably one of the most ground breaking books on sustainability in business,” said Don Droppo, Jr. President and CEO of Curtis. LEARN MORE >	USING REVERSE ECOLOGY Patagonia, the outdoor outfitter, tackles Christmas consumerism gone mad with an environmental appeal in print and online that asks people to buy less of everything – including its own products. “Don’t buy this jacket,” says the headline accompanied by a picture of the retailer's R2 coat. Copy explains how manufacture of the jacket – and everything else Patagonia makes – has a negative impact on the environment. “The environmental cost of everything we make is astonishing," the ad reads. “Consider the R2 Jacket shown, one of our best sellers. To make it required 135 liters of water, enough to meet the daily needs (three glasses a day) of 45 people. Its journey from its origin as 60% recycled polyester to our Reno warehouse generated nearly 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, 24 times the weight of the finished product ... as is true of all the things we can make and you can buy, this jacket comes with an environmental cost higher than its price.” PACKAGE BIZ IS MUSHROOMING Ecovative Design, just outside of Albany NY, reportedly has landed a contract with Crate and Barrel to make eco-friendly packaging material. The company, started by enterprising Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) graduates, uses mushrooms to make its packaging. Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre say that demand for its earth-sensitive materials will necessitate that the company double its factory space next year. They add: “We’re creating a new paradigm of manufacturing; where high performance, low cost materials are literally grown!” POUCH POUR The Clif Family Winery & Farms, famous for organic Clif Bars snacks, has uncorked – make that unscrewed – two wines for outdoorsmen in a new Climber Pouch. Touted as a prime example of innovative wine packaging, the product is promoted on three levels: as a tasty Chardonney (or Cabernet Sauvignon) in its own right; as a convenient option for campers, hikers and climbers; and as an eco-friendly package.The double-gusseted, stand-up flexible pouch, supplied by Astrapouch, is claimed to have an 80% lower carbon footprint and to create 90% less waste than two glass bottles. It’s also lighter to carry than glass, recloses easily, and allows air to be released, which helps the wine stay fresh for up to one month after opening. When the wine’s gone, the package folds down into a fraction of its filled size. LEARN MORE > FROGS ARE GREEN KIDS ART CONTEST Healthy frogs mean a healthy planet, says Frogs are Green co-founder and brand identity designer Susan Newman. SEE ALL THE ENTRIES > XMAS TREE SELLERS GET REAL Tree growers have long touted their product as the environmentally friendly way to enjoy the Christmas tradition. The theory: new trees are planted every year so the “you’re killing a tree”accusation lobbed at real tree buyers no longer sticks. Now, some tree growers are trying to capitalize on that message with a growing environmentally conscious segment of the population. The Minnesota Christmas Tree Association has adopted a logo and marketing campaign called “Go Green Get Real.” The group also distributes DVDs to growers and educators, and even go into schools around Arbor Day in the spring to talk to kids about their replanting efforts and the other environmental benefits of trees. Rick Dungey, a spokesman for the National Christmas Tree Association, says he still sees fake trees promoted as “saving real trees.” But, says Dungey: “The good news is we know from the research we’ve been doing in consumer polls over the years that especially among younger people, anyone under the age of 30, they just don't fall for stuff like that anymore.”

GDUSA Green Newsletter

December 2011