You can be green with inexperience. Green used to mean you had a lot of cash. Here's more about green.
On St. Patrick’s day we like to paint the town green. You can be green with inexperience. Green used to mean you had a lot of cash, but now the green economy is a shade of sickly green––more green than our kids with the flu. And then there’s the greening of our environment. Can we be all of these greens at the same time? We get calls and emails asking about Green Design. Can we do green? Are you Green, What have you done that’s green?, Who have you worked with in Green Industries?
The answer to all of these questions is YES! But let’s look at each question a bit closer.
Can we do Green?
We’ve always recommended recycled papers, soy-based inks, and reduced paper sizes and quantities. We work with printers who are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). We challenge conventional thinking. One of the best examples was an answer to the question of which shopping bag you should request at the supermarket “Paper or plastic?” It’s the wrong question. Neither is as reusable as carrying a cloth bag. Many retailers have come on board offering reusable shopping bags.
Are you green?
In our office we recycle our paper, print on two sides, and recycle bottles, ink cartridges. We scrutinize our mailings list and remove excess names. We’ve downsized the materials we mail out, order select quantities in digital printing and shifted many of our promotions online.
What have we done that’s green?
Healthy Pfizer Smoke-free Campus Campaign
We’ve designed a communications program that announces Pfizer’s new initiative to eliminate smoking on their corporate campuses across America. This program features email blasts, and plasma screen video graphics.
Greater New York Hospital Association Stationery
We created a new program with a new consistent design system for over 300 business cards and stationery components with an online ordering system. The standardized formats reduce the time, materials and cost of production. The program is printed with an environmentally approved printer using recycled papers and soy-based inks.
Unilever Benefits Tutorials
We produced a series of tutorial videos that are housed online for the employees of Unilever. In the past these materials would have been distributed as workbooks and brochures. Now employees learn about their benefits in easy-to-use video modules.
Who have we worked with in Green businesses?
NRDC
The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), the nation's most effective environmental action group, works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on earth. Langton Cherubino Group created a campaign for hybrid cars that ran as a full page advocacy advertisement in The New York Times.
Lani’s Line
Lani’s Line is a series of bath products developed for dogs, people and the environment. They are 100% natural, mostly organic, pH balanced for dogs, dye and sulfate free, people-tested and made in the US. Langton Cherubino Group designed the Lani Identity, packaging and exhibition materials.
Tatiana’s Kissy Kissy Clothing for Infants
Kissy Kissy brings organic cotton to a new level of sophistication with its new line of organic baby clothing. It is made from 100% Pima cotton, soft and natural. Organic cotton is grown with little impact to the environment using no toxins or synthetic fertilizers, and is produced without harsh chemical bleaches or dyes and is allergy free. Langton Cherubino Group designed the Identity, clothing tags and exhibition materials. We also managed a photoshoot that involved babies and their mothers.
Advanced Energy by Peter K.
Contractor Peter K. is an accredited Building Performance Institute contractor for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that is helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Langton Cherubino Group designed the Identity for Peter K’s new environmental contracting service based on two traditional iconic symbols: the sun and the house.
What does it mean to really be green?
Being green is really about sustainability. Sustainability is more than just putting the recycled logo on all of your print materials. True sustainability is “the relationships between economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human existence.” says Eric Benson at www.renourish.com. The real green approach incorporates a perspective of thinking about your services and products from creation through delivery. Benson reminds us that the goal is, “to maintain the same quality of life for future generations.” Companies must be constantly informed and up-to-date in green practices and their messaging needs to promote awareness of sustainability issues to the consumer and their clients.
Green Sources:
Five Green Ways to Grow Your Marketing in 2009 –Chief Marketer
http://chiefmarketer.com/green/0106-green-marketing-2009/index.html
Are you Eco-Generous?
http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/01/26/are-you-eco-generous/#comment-13534
Re-nourish
http://www.re-nourish.com/
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
http://www.fscus.org/paper
GHP- Printer who is certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
http://www.ghpmedia.com/html/about_fsc.html
Sustainable Packaging Guidelines
http://www.sustainablepackaging.org/about_sustainable_packaging.asp
The AIGA Center for Sustainable Design
http://sustainability.aiga.org/
By David Langton
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