GDUSA Green Newsletter

February 2013

GREEN IS THE NEW THIN

Clorox Green Works produces affordable green cleaning products that generally receive excellent reviews. Their new marketing campaign (see below) makes fun of over-the-top peer pressure that some women feel to be green or to flaunt their green credentials. This has raised a lively debate among marketers and environmentalists. Some experts see the campaign as a slap at women and environmentalism – why shouldn’t women be serious about being green, what’s wrong with peer pressure for a good cause, why wouldn’t being green trump being thin or having a boyfriend? Others see the campaign as a plus. To them, the message is that small everday household decisions contribute to a better planet and should be encouraged, and that it is more important to integrate practical actions into life than to make grand gestures that are more about status than substance. Tempermentally, I like the friendly “lighten up” message of the Green Works campaign in its context. What do you think?
— Gordon Kaye, editorial@gdusa.com

COMPOSTMODERN CONVENES IN SF
Compostmodern13 is set for San Francisco March 22- 23. “We’re creating an event for people who want to make the world work better for everyone to meet, get inspired and take action,” says Sarah Brooks, executive producer of the event and Sustainability Chair of the AIGA SF…MORE >

SUSTAINABILITY IS ANNUAL THEME
Annual and sustainability report powerhouse Addison designed Ceres’ recently released annual report for 2011/2012…MORE >

CLOROX POKES FUN AT EXTREMES
“Green is the new thin” and “green is the new black.” These are two findings of a survey which reveals that some women are feeling increasing pressure to embrace green and are overreacting to it…MORE >

FALLEN ANGELS IN DETOX MODE
Greenpeace’s global detox campaign has the wind beneath its wings. Its tactics – exposing fashion retailers to unwanted negative publicity – has yielded significant agreements in the past few months from with Levi’s, Zara and Mango to clean up their supply chains…MORE >

DRIVING GOOD STEWARDSHIP
The Creative Alliance has developed a new graphic look for LaserCycle USA, featuring imagery of trees on packaging and other branding opportunities ‒ including wraps for the Ford Focus fleet…MORE >

NEW SONGS SPARK NEW IDEAS
Recognizing that new songs can spark new creative ideas, Corbis is bringing graphic designers music from the hottest indie bands. When you register with Corbis Images, you’ll get a downloadable zipped file with 25 songs as soon as you sign up. Then, you get 75 additional songs when you make your first purchase before April 15. Great images and free music; “consider your creativity nourished!” You can register for free by clicking on the Corbis banner in this eNewsletter or at the GDUSA Blog.
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MCDONALD’S KNOWS THE SCORE
Though the innovative QR Codes on McDonald’s new global package design got all the initial play in the press, the company points out that there is a sustainability story as well…MORE >

MAKING EVERY COMPONENT WORK
One way to avoid waste in packaging, says Vancouver’s Working Format, is to ensure that all components are used to provide value to the consumer. For the design firm’s branding efforts on behalf of KooShoo, a yoga headband and accessories company whose products can be worn in multiple ways, this included using the hangtags to contain style suggestions, with urls for more suggestions…MORE >