Publishers Note
Thinking Green
Graph Expo GREENspace
More Thinking Green
Quote Of The Month
The New GDUSA Store
The FTC is on the verge of releasing an updated version of its Green Guides, used to enforce environmental marketing claims. The guides are getting a long-overdue makeover — it has been a dozen years — in light of the explosive interest in environmentally-friendly goods and services. The agency is expected to raise the bar for use of certain terms ranging from "recyclable" and "biodegradable" to "carbon neutral" and "carbon offsets" to "eco-friendly" and "sustainable. The new rules may also undermine the basis for some of the 300 environmental seals of approval now in use. The Obama Administration is becoming aggressive about challenging greenwashing claims, and panic is spreading reportedly among advertisers and consultants who catastrophize the end of green marketing as we know it. Clearly, everyone in the communications world should get to know the new Guides when they come out. But having practiced some FTC-related law — do you know what cosmetics really do to your skin? — I suggest everyone calm down. The initial release is only a draft subject to public comment, and any crazy rules can be refined based on industry feedback. Moveover, the basis for FTC enforcement policy is that an advertiser tell the truth and be able to substantiate claims. Stay within the realm of credible and reliable evidence, you should be have nothing to fear but fear itself.
— Gordon Kaye
Graphic Designer Rolls
Mayor Villaraigosa, in partnership with Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition,
has declared graphic designer and cyclist Geoff McFetridge winner of the Bike
Awareness and Safety slogan contest. The "Give Me 3? bus shelter posters will be
seen on 1,000 ads, and refers to support of 3 Foot Passing legislation that would
give bikers more room to ride. The winning slogan was submitted by Danny Gamboa
of Long Beach CA. Other sponsors of the effort to make the City of Angels a more
bike friendly place include LADOT, LAPD and Midnight Ridazz.
Beyond The Cup
Nestlé is the latest major corporation to invest substantially to become more
sustainable, in this instance expanding its reach into sustainable coffee farming,
making its factories more efficient and reducing its packaging. Beyond the Cup: The
Nescafe Plan aims to double the amount of Nescafé, the instant coffee, that it
buys directly from farmers. They also intend to increase its number of agronomists and
field technicians. To reduce its direct impacts, Nestlé is investing funds into
its own factories to reduce energy and waste, and to use spent coffee grounds as fuel
in all factories.
Human Focus
Sagi Haviv of Chermayeff & Geismar designed this new symbol for Conservation
International. The group's mission is being fundamentally redefined to "protect nature
for the well-being 
of humanity" rather than the more abstract notion of simply "protecting
the environment." The identity — a blue circle underlined in green — symbolizes
the planet, emphasized, supported and sustained. The mark can also be seen as a unique
human form. Haviv says that the power of the symbol is "embedded in the simplicity." The
former symbol was of pristine wildlife.
Graph Expo, expected to be the year's largest graphic communications
exhibition and conference in the Americas, is making room for the environment.
For the sustainable-minded, the event has added GREENspace, a one-stop destination
on the show floor for green information, education, products and
services.
Special
attractions include a "consultants corner" with free one-on-one consulting
with sustainability experts; several special exhibitors with sustainability-focused
products and services; a printed directory/guide to Graph Expo exhibitors
offering eco-friendly products and services; and a theater displaying multiple
presentions on sustainability. SFI and GDUSA are the sponsors. Graph Expo takes
place October 3-6 at Chicago's McCormick Place.
Video on GREENspace...
http://www.graphexpo.com/Attending/WhyAttend/GREENspace.aspx
Recycling With A Smile
Hull Creative's "Recycle More" is a city wide campaign to raise awareness and
promote recycling in Boston. Photographs feature exaggerated scenarios in which
people are featured with objects that are, not so coincidentally, recyclable. All
images are relatable to Bostonians — including Red Sox and Patriots references
— showing that in all situations, recycling is possible. The campaign is
featured on all forms of mass transit— bus exteriors and interiors, subway
cars and station platforms, and free standing wall posters throughout the city. Says
Caryl Hull: "With catchy phrases like 'Recycling, Good Karma,' 'Recycle, after Every
Meal,' and 'Recycle, Good Sportsmanship,' we are promoting recycling with a
smile ... a feel good thing to do."
Re-nourish Joins
Re-nourish.com has joined the Environmental Paper Network, a coalition of
environmental groups, in an effort to move the pulp and paper industry toward
sustainability. Re-nourish is commiting to the coalition's Common Vision, which
focuses on minimizing paper use, increasing recycled content, supporting clean
pulp and paper production, and encouraging responsible fiber sourcing. "Joining
the EPN is a critical step for us," says Re-nourish content lead Jess
Sand. "Graphic designers play a critical role in the world of paper purchasing,
and we need to close the loop between designers, manufacturers, distributors, and
the rest of the marketplace if we're going to change the way paper is made."
Nature Needs Heroes
Timberland, no stranger to environmentally-focused marketing, has launched its
biggest campaign yet. Nature Needs Heroes showcases Timberland's Earthkeepers
collection, made with materials like recycled rubber and recycled PET. Print, TV
and retail ads, as well as a microsite and social media are involved. Leagas
Delaney is the agency; Holst created the 3-D window displays and microsite. Jim
Davey is Timberland's VP, Global Marketing. Light-hearted humor conveys the
serious message that even small acts of environmental action make a difference.
"This campaign marks the culmination of our work to connect consumers to what we're doing as a company to have a positive environmental impact. It's our biggest and best effort to date to not just share our own stories and initiatives, but to also engage consumers in a broader effort to care for the environment... We hope the variety of elements in this campaign -- from digital and social to in-store to more traditional media -- might encourage all consumers, no matter where they see us, to be drawn in. We want to give consumers the opportunity to learn more about what Timberland is doing to help protect the outdoors, as well as support them in taking environmental action themselves -- whether that action is buying a pair of boots or planting a tree."
-- Jim Davey, Timberland's Vice President of Global Marketing, on the Nature Needs Heroes Campaign
Generating Buzz
The Banrock Station winery in England has created the world's (hopefully the last?) first
ad with live bees. The billboard calls attention to the mysterious disappearance of
honeybees. The ad uses queen-bee pheromones to attract a swarm of bees (as many as
100,000, according to the BBC) from a nearby honey farm to spell out an "SOS" message
on a billboard. The winery is also donating money to the bee cause for every bottle sold.
Finger Pointing
Consumers remain skeptical about the intentions of businesses to "go green." A poll
by Gibbs & Soell Public Relations this summer found that only 16 percent of consumers strongly believe that companies are deeply committed to being environmentally responsible. 48 percent said some companies were committed and 25 percent were disbelievers. Interestingly, business execs are not all that gung ho either; Fortune 1000 execs were recently polled as well and only 29 percents said that most companies are committed to going green. Many of the businesspeople blamed consumers for not being willing to put thir money where their mouth's are.
Slowalk
The Korean group Slowalk puts its graphic design skills in the service of positive social causes; it's latest target is a government project to dam four main rivers. Alarmed by the possible deterioration of the natural habitat, Slowalk has created a poster showing the stylized images of a dozen animals and plants that environmental groups say willl be harmed if the dam plans go forward.
THEGDUSA has teamed with Veer to offer creative professionals the most fun and interesting merchandise available. Current offerings include the following items and much more.
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1. Helvetica Notebook |
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2. Comic Sans Love T-Shirt |
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3. Kern Zip-Up |
Veer provides visual elements for use in professional creative work, such as graphic design, motion design, advertising and filmmaking. Products include stock photography, illustration, typefaces, and unique merchandise.
Read and download the results of our 47th Annual Print Design Survey sponsored by xpedx and UPM
http://gdusa.com/issue_2010/06_jun/feature/index.php
CURRENT GUIDES FOR USE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL MARKETING CLAIMS
260.1 Statement of Purpose.
260.2 Scope of Guides.
260.3 Structure of Guides.
260.4 Review Procedure.
260.5 Interpretation/Substantiation.
260.6 General Principles.
260.7 Environmental Marketing Claims.
260.8 Environmental Assessment.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. §§ 41-58
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/
grnrule/guides980427.htm