Jacob Mann
Thesis Process Book
Remember Fukushima
For making this project possible and pointing it in the right direction, I give BIG UP’s to the following people. Ray Sams Michelle Carpenter Brian Delevie Bryan Leister Micheal Mages Jason Bowers Maria Buszak Jeff Sloan Matt Girard Bruce Parker Conor Hartman Gail Wheeler InDox Printing
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INTRODUCTION
09. 11. 12.
Preface Design Question Goals
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16. 18. 24. 27.
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FINDINGS Vinyl Community Research Fukushima Subject Matter Expert Jeff Sloan Matt Girard
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54. 55. 57. 58.
DELIVERABLES
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Figure meet the artist Package Website/Instagram
THE END Design Statement Display Personal Brand References
THE BRAND
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Story/ Essence vision/mission color/typography Name Logo logotype brandmark signatures
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Brand is not what you say it is, it’s what they say it is.” Marty Neumeier The Brand Gap
1 PREFACE THESIS QUESTION GOALS
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Jeremy Fish turtle van
PREFACE
Like all collectibles, they serve a selfish desire or acquisitive craving. It occurred to me that maybe designer vinyl could be more than that. Perhaps the figures could be connected to something bigger; helping people in need as it helps fill a hole in someone’s collection. Why not use the power of design to do something good? Who says doing well has to be boring and dull? Why can’t it be done through something people already love and enjoy? These thoughts swirled around my head as I evolved my design question.
Introduction
I remember as youngster playing with action figures, using my imagination to create stories for them. These toys were modeled after my favorite comic, cartoon or movie characters and were marketed towards my age group. As I got older my interest in toys faded until a few years ago. That is when I was introduced to designer vinyl toys. Now, instead of buying mass- produced figures of my favorite icons, I collect vinyl figures designed by my favorite artists.
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How can cause branding be a means to promote awareness and generate funds for the Fukushima disaster through vinyl toys?
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GOALS To create a versatile cause brand that uses its products to communicate to consumers about different social and cultural issues. To create a product and packaging with narrative that will resonate empathy with the viewer and bring awareness to the ongoing needs of Japanese communities still affected by the Fukushima events. This product, the vinyl figure, will serve as a means to generate funds to be donated to a NPO that is helping with those still affected by the 2011 Fukushima events.
13 Introduction
2 RESEARCH FUKUSHIMA SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT
“People ignore design that ignores people.� Frank Chimero Designer, Author
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VINYL COMMUNITY The designer vinyl toy community started in the late 1990’s in China and Japan. Before long, that trend started to pick up in the United States and Europe. Now, vinyl toys can be found all over the world, even in museums. The artists designing these figures come from a wide range of disciplines, from comics to music posters, to street art and even the fine arts. Because of this diversity, collectors range from many different social groups. The figures can be found in small comic book stores to music shops, and some even in major chain stores. Designer vinyl toys have the ability to carry a unique message with them, as collectable items, they have a lasting shelf life to consumers. With vinyl partially born in Japan, it made sense for One Stone’s first figure release to tackle an issue troubling this country. What better issue then Fukushima, an event that will effect the world for generations to come.
Mishka bad news bear (kodiak)
17 Findings
Ron English mc supersize china
Kaws companion dissected
David Flores deathshead (black)
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RESEARCH A “cause-branding” program is created to evoke change or impact a particular cause or issue troubling our world. They are created with a connection to a specific cause and a group, usually a nonprofit, that is related to that cause.1 There are three very important parts to a successful cause branding campaign, a brand, a product or service and a NPO and its cause.2 Success depends on all three components being present. I looked to other brands and companies to see what made them successful as well as their flaws and/or weaknesses. Product (RED) is a brand that focuses on raising funds for The Global Fund to fight AIDS’s in Africa. Since it has been established (RED) has raised over 300 million dollars and impacted more than 55 million people. They do, however, have their flaws. Because donation percents are left up to the partner brand, in (RED)’s case, Apple, Gap, Starbucks, etc, it is hard for
1. Cone Communications, “What is cause branding?,” Cone communications, September 21, 2007, http://www.conecomm.com/what-is-cause-branding 2. Barkley Evergreen & Partners, “Cause branding and it’s effects on corporate reputation,” Brand Channel, Febuary 12, 2015, http://www.brandchannel.com/ papers_review.asp?sp_ id=1231
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Shepard Fairey
Obey Awareness is an offshoot of Shepard Fairey’s Obey Clothing company. Art is being used through the t-shirts and prints they sell to help share ideas and raise awareness about different causes, from breast cancer to Darfur to pet adoption. Obey Awareness offers a guilt free, no pressure choice, letting consumers buy something they might already want while allowing them to give back. 100% of the profits from these sales go to the cause in which the piece is connected to.
Findings
“you want people to feel like they’re not just giving money because guilted into it, but get something in return..”
consumers to know how much they are actually helping when they purchase the products. In their earlier years, they did not offer a way to donate directly, forcing people to purchase or look elsewhere to donate. This has since been changed but something to keep in mind for future brands. Their use of partner brands to create product (RED) merchandise also allows for the possibility of unethical business practices in the creation of products to elevate a brand’s image.( An example of this is GAP, which has been known to use sweat shops to produce their apparel.)
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21 Findings
Toms Shoes and their “one for one� marketing strategy was also on my radar. This shoe company donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased. This is another great method of offering a product for consumption while helping out others from the sales. They do a great job of letting the audience know, through package design, how and whom exactly the consumer just helped. It is also a no-pressure choice. They are not trying to force people to buy their shoes, but if one does, it allows one to be part of something bigger.
“Everyone has an equal responsibility to make this world a better place.” 15 year old female
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MILLENNIALS Because the millennial generation makes up the majority of my target audience, I looked into certain trends that pertain to this group. I targeted this group because, they are the future generation that will be responsible for our planet, and also their expendable money often used for non-essentials: entertainment, luxury goods and collectibles. With 78 million millennials in the United States alone, making up approximately a quarter of the total population, they have consumer power. An amazing 61% feel responsible for the state of the world and want to make a difference and 24% will specifically buy products from brands that support social or environmental issues. As much as they want to help most want to see instant gratification for their support and/or know exactly how their contributions are helping.3
3. Cone inc, AMP Agency, “The Millennial Genaration: Pro-Social and Empoweered to Change the World” (case study, 2006), 2-10.
cone communication: case study
BRANDING
A strong brand should bring about an image, word and/or phrase in the prospect’s mind when thinking about the brand. Think Apple, sleek innovative technology. The brand in this case needs to not only speak to the vinyl community, but also bring up its values of establishing awareness and being part of the world community. Positioning will allow the brand to find a gap in the current market and fill it. For this thesis project that will be vinyl toys that raise awareness for different social and cultural issues. 4. Alina Wheeler, Designing Brand Identity 3rd edition (NewJersey: John Wiley & Sons inc, 2009), 1-5
Findings
Knowing exactly what it takes to create a successful brand and how to do it is extremely important before the cause factor can be implemented. It can be confusing to understand the difference between brand and brand identity, as they sound as if they are one in the same. Alina Wheeler sums it up nicely in her book, Creating Brand Identity, a brand is all the intangible assets. It is the look and feel of the company and how they want to be perceived by the consumer. Brand identities are all the tangible assets of the brand, from the brandmark, to the typography to the packaging offered by the brand, all of which upholds its vision and values.4
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FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI In March 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was struck by a fifteen meter tsunami caused by a 9.0 earthquake, the fourth largest since 1900.5 This caused the plant and surrounding area to lose power, which ultimately led to a meltdown of core reactors because they were unable to be properly cooled. This all led to the evacuation of more than three hundred eighty thousand people, a quarter of Denver’s population. Over the next several months sea water from the Pacific Ocean was used to cool the reactors, eventually leading to one hundred metric tons of radioactive water leaking out into ground water and back into the ocean.6 As of mid-2014 there are still over 80 thousand people from the surrounding area living in temporary accommodations.7 This disaster led to people being forced to leave their homes and livelihoods. These people do not deserve to go this alone with little to no support.
5. CNN Library, “2011 Japan Earthquake - Tsunami Fast Facts,” CNN, updated February 13, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/17/world/asia/japan-earthquake---tsunamifast-facts/ 6.. CNN Library 7. RT, “Japan lifts evacuation order near Fukushima for first time since nuclear disaster,” RT Question More, April 01, 2014, http://rt.com/news/japan-fukushima-evacuation- nuclear-673/
“You can’t have a temporary life forever,” Ichiro Kazawa evacuee
NON-PROFIT
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globalgiving.org
Findings
Global Giving is a non足profit that is helping evacuees of the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown. With much needed help from the outside world, donations can help in many ways. At globalgiving.org one can see how much money it takes to help in certain ways, from providing clean drinking water to organizing community events to prevent isolation. It also releases reports giving status updates of current situations on the ground.
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SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
Findings
To help guide my process through this project I reached out to two experts working in the field. Their advice will help shape and mold the cause branding efforts to reach its maximum potential. I chose two experts because it allowed me to have more eyes on my project. While ultimately it comes down to my decision and what I deem necessary, they may be able to see and discover aspects and angles I was not considering. I was lucky to have two talented and creative designers in my corner throughout the thesis process.
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EDUCATION:
The Art Institute of Colorado, 2011
EXPERIENCE:
Crispin Porter + Bogusky JWT & Team Detroit Sasquatch Candles Freelance
JEFF SLOAN 29
His initial response to the project was positive, he thought vinyl would make a unique means of transporting a message to the masses. He brought up the idea that while the brand uses a fun product, vinyl figures, it will also be dealing with important issues. Both aspects need to have equal weight or the meaning could get lost or come across wrong. He talked about the importance of consistency in the brand and how it will help build customer loyalty. He pointed to Instagram to be used for promotion; saying not only is it popular among the target audience but also a means of bringing a larger community into one place.
Findings
ART DIRECTOR/ DESIGNER
EDUCATION: UC Denver Digital Design, 2011 EXPERIENCE: Snowboard Magazine Warren Miller Entertainment Kidrobot
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MATT GIRARD DESIGNER
When first discussing my design question and what it involved with Matt, he was very intrigued. He really liked the idea of bringing awareness to the Fukushima events and is surprised at how fast people forget about major catastrophes that happen. Matt said that I need to focus on speaking to the human condition and creating empathy to get people to care. He suggested that I make the brand’s goals as transparent as possible to connect with the audience and also make it a sustainable brand. This is a brand that is trying to help people and the world and should not be causing more issues for them or it. He points to the story and asks why should people care? Its importance that the brand shows how this issue not only affects Japan but the rest of the world as well.
“It’s sad how fast people overlook the severity of a situation when there is something else to talk about.”
“ A brand becomes stronger when you narrow the focus.� Al and Laura Ries The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
3 THE BRAND
consumer
brand
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CREATING THE BRAND I needed to establish a platform for my project. This would be the brand, its values, vision and mission. It would also need a visual aspect that represented these qualities and help instill an image in the prospect’s mind.
product/service
The Brand has to be as transparent as possible so the target audience has an understanding of what the product is connected to, whom they are helping and where money is going.
non-profit
the cause
BRAND ESSENCE
The Brand
One Stone is a “cause brand� that uses the medium of vinyl toys to bring awareness and generate funds for different social and cultural issues. Through collaboration with different artists, One Stone teams up with non-profits to create a figure, package and narrative that is unique to its specific cause. While the package and figure help relate the story to the viewer, possible sales from the toys can help alleviate some of the pressure the cause places on those it directly effects. One Stone is vinyl with purpose.
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VISION One Stone is committed to creatively making a difference in world issues to help mitigate the effects on those caught in the fallout.
MISSION
Imagination and creativity are powerful tools, we believe in their ability to spread a message and help those in need. Our goal is to help mitigate world issues not create more. We, the human race, all creatures and nature live on this one stone together, it is in our best interest to lend a helping hand when at all possible.
The Brand
One Stone is not just another designer toy company. We serve two purposes with one product. We collaborate with different multi talented artists to create limited edition designer vinyl toys which are connected to different causes troubling our world. Our figures offer a new breed of communicational canvas for artists to help give issues an alternative voice for the world to hear. We team up with Non Profits to help raise funds and spread awareness for their causes. While we might not completely erase a problem we can make a difference to help ease the effects on those caught in the issue’s path.
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NAMING I needed a name that not only represented the good that the brand stands for but also the medium with which the brand deals. This meant taking the serious nature of social and cultural causes and combining it with the playful creative personality of vinyl toys. It was important for me to create a unique name with strong meaning that embodied the brand. This dual goal led me to the phrase “two birds with one stone.” Although much too long for a brand name I knew there was something there, and eventually came up with One Stone. One Stone is solid, quick to say and easy to remember.
white CMYK 00 00 00 00 RGB 255 255 255 HEX #FFFFFF
black CMYK 88 76 69 96 RGB 00 00 00 HEX #000000
dark charcoal CMYK 81 72 68 87 RGB 19 19 19 HEX #131313
light gray CMYK 88 48 48 30 RGB 97 97 97 HEX #616161
blue CMYK 54 28 29 04 RGB 127 155 163 HEX #7F9BA3
green CMYK 26 00 77 00 RGB 201 222 85 HEX #C9DE55
rad 3rd rock
outside the box
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silent fresh
kind caring united embracing grown up toys nostalgia nurture art creative designer counter culture canvas donate philanthropy
rise vinyl
DISplay vinyl
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effect the cause
catalyst plastic
high 5 molded cause
small press
23Ëš plastic ammo
mindful vinyl
remedy
blacklist
plastic axis
one stone
axis of plastic The Brand
never grown
twice good pangaea plastics
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cause brands After spending some time looking into logos from different cause brands, NPOs and vinyl toy companies, I had a great deal to work with. The cause brands and NPOs generally had modern fonts with a tamed or serious brandmark, while the toy companies typically had more playful fonts in their logo. BSan serif was the popular choice for both. From this I established a hard edged modern font to represent the gravitas of the brand’s causes. I would then use the brandmark to bring in the playful element of the vinyl medium being used. This would allow the brand to appeal to an already established culture while also speaking to a broader crowd, enticing more people to view what the brand has to offer.
non-profits
LOGOTYPE
vinyl toys
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I used Modern Sans because of its hard edge geometric shapes, and its firm look.
brand signature with tag-line
The Brand
Starting with the typeface Modern Sans, I then proceeded to modify it to come up with my final logotype iteration.
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COLOR
I knew as soon as I had the brand name that I wanted to use two birds to be the brandmark. Because the logo type stood for the causes the brandmark would stand for the culture. At first I played with some different iterations of carrier pigeons. I chose this type of bird for the message they would be carrying on their back. My initial iterations were turning out too cute, not having enough character.
BLACK AND WHITE
I ended up reducing forms to the simplest shape to build my final mark, with just enough detail to give them personality but not enough to get lost when shrunk down.
43 The Brand
GREY SCALE
BRANDMARK
4 DELIVERABLES
“Design is intelligence made visible� Lou Danziger Designer and Educator
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early concepts
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THE FIGURE To develop the figure, I looked to the model of Obey Awareness and some vinyl toy companies. Using a known, established artist helped create a base community out of his fans. After discussing my idea and what I was looking for, we collaborated back and forth to develop a figure that used iconic symbolism from Japan and would speak to the Fukushima cause while being sensitive to those caught and affected first-hand by its aftermath.
Origami= Rebuilding Crane= Good Fortune, Hope/Healing Waves on back= Remembering Tsunami Hokusai Mount Fuji= Proud History Sumo Mawashi= Strength Bindle (Made with Japan Flag)= Moving On/ Leaving homes Hare/Rabbit= 2011 Japanese Zodiac
meet
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final character sheet
SADAKO
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brucey-art.com
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Bruce ‘Brucey’ Parker grew up watching way too many movies and cartoons while also playing with lots of toys from said movies and cartoons. Later Brucey studied Animation & Illustration at college, before embarking on an Illustrative art career. Brucey spends his time creating Monochrome mayhem, colorless characters and pop culture mash ups all illustrated by hand onto a variety of surfaces including: MDF, cardboard, plywood, cars, fridges, walls, windows, shoes, sculptures and occasionally paper. His work is often character driven with his characters ranging from human, animal, something in between or further beyond. Brucey’s work is a chaotic, euphoric, light-hearted, nostalgic trip littered with familiar characters, brands and products past and present. All created using black and white paint markers to create an almost vectoresque high contrast style.
Deliverables
THE ARTIST
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PACKAGE DESIGN With the brand being the platform for different social and cultural causes, the package and figure have to carry forth a message specific to each cause. While adhering to the brand’s style, the package also had to relate to the specific style of the collaborating artist to create unity between the two. My package had to grab people’s attention and bring them in for the initial hook. Once the package was in their hand there had to be features to keep attention while a short story of the figure creates empathy from the viewer. I started with 2D drawings, sketching out possible variations of the package. From there, I moved into paper prototypes to see what worked and what did not. When I found a design that worked I moved into the layout phase, making sure my package contained all the necessary elements, from brand name to the correlating cause, down to upc and warning labels.
WEBSITE/ INSTAGRAM
After discovering instagram’s popularity among the target audience, it would be the perfect use of promotion to reach a wider audience and get the word out about One•Stone and Fukushima. It would be a means of showcasing the process of the package and figure to build hype around it. It is also a free way to reach people interested in different aspects of the brand and bring them to one place.
Deliverables
For people to further understand and see the capabilities of the One•Stone brand, I developed a website as well. Here, people will be able to see the mission and vision of the brand and get more of an idea of its essence than from the package and its inherent limits. A cause page will show the different causes One•Stone is currently working with, giving a brief description of each. This will also establish the diverse capabilities of the brand and how it can help across the world. From the store page, viewers will be able to see the current vinyl toys available, read their stories and/ or donate directly to the cause if they wish to help without purchase.
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” One•Stone
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Imagination, without it, you are stuck in reality.” Jacob Mann Designer
5 Design Statement Display Personal Brand References
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DESIGN STATEMENT This project was inspired out of my love for vinyl toys and belief that design has the power to effect the world in positive ways. With this project I developed and established a “cause brand” that could be a platform for vinyl toys to reach out to consumers with messages about different social and cultural issues plaguing our world. In the end, a brand holds not only power but responsibility, and with our world in a constant change it is becoming even more important that companies become socially aware of their impacts.
REDLINE DISPLAY
55 The End
Remember Fukushima Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc nec euismod sem, quis porta magna. Aenean tempor vel est id facilisis. In laoreet, turpis eget faucibus faucibus, quam velit aliquam mauris, sit amet aliquam libero turpis suscipit libero. Aliquam ultrices sapien sit amet vulputate dignissim. Proin vitae ornare est. Sed dignissim at tellus ut semper. Phasellus feugiat tempor tellus sed tempor ex vel, fermentum tincidunt augue. Sed imperdiet ex eu elit facilisis,
7ft
4ft 8ft
front
JACOB MANN
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231 342 0544 jacob@jacobmann.us jacobmann.us
The End
GRAPHIC, BRANDING, MOTION
back BRANDING, GRAPHIC, MOTION
231 342 0544
jacob@jacobmann.us jacobmann.us
I have always had a passion for the arts. My education has made me multi-talented designer, able to accomplish many different aspects from graphics to branding to research. I strive to accomplish work that is visually communicating and gives a voice to the project. Through my experiences, I am able to work effectively on a team or as an individual. My main focus lies in graphic, branding and motion design.
Alina Wheeler, Designing Brand Identity 3rd edition (NewJersey: John Wiley & Sons inc, 2009) Al Ries, Jack Trout, Positioning How to Be heard in the overcrowded marketplace (America, McGraw-Hill, 2001) Arthur Lubow, “Cult Figures,” The New York Times, August 15, 2004, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/15/magazine/cultfigures.html Art Whino Gallery, “Art without borders,” Art Whino, February 23rd 2013, http://artwhino.com/exhibitions-1/ artwithoutborders
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Barkley Evergreen & Partners, “Cause branding and it’s effects on corporate reputation,” Brand Channel, Febuary 12, 2015, http://www.brandchannel.com/papers_review.asp?spid=1231 Brandon Edler, “Sneaker Pimps Nike Hyperposite “Statue of Liberty” Hurricane Sandy Relief Auction,” Complex, November 3, 2012, http://www.complex.com/sneakers/2012/11/sneaker- pimps-nike-hyperposite-statue-of-liberty-hurricane-sandy relief-auction Chelsea, “Product Preview. Kidrobot X Keith Haring X (RED) Collection,” Kidrobot Blog, November 14th, 2013, http://blog. kidrobot.com/product-preview-kidrobot-x-keith-haring-x-redcollection CNN Library, “2011 Japan Earthquake - Tsunami Fast Facts,” CNN, updated February 13, 2015, http://www.cnn. com/2013/07/17/world/asia/japan-earthquake---tsunami-fastfacts/ Coarse Toys, “About Us,” Coarse Life, Febuary 14, 2015, http://www.coarselife.com/about15/index.php Cone Communications, “What is cause branding?,” Cone communications, September 21, 2007, http://www.conecomm. com/what-is-cause-branding
Kidrobot, “About Us” Kidrobot February 15, 2015, http://www. kidrobot.com/pages/about-us Lauren Seip (co-owner Lowbrow art and stuff) interview by Jacob Mann, Febuary 13, 2015. Mark Hampshire, Keith Stephenson, Packaging (Switzerland: RotoVision SA, 2007) Paul Budnitz, I Am Plastic, Too (China: Abrams, 2010) (RED), “Our progress to date,” (RED), Febuary 15, 2015, http:// www.red.org/en/learn/the-global-fund RT, “Japan lifts evacuation order near Fukushima for first time since nuclear disaster,” RT Question More, April 01, 2014, http://rt.com/news/japan-fukushima-evacuation-nuclear-673/
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Shirley Li, “Case Analysis: (Product) Red,” Slideshare, June 2, 2013, http://www.slideshare.net/lixuejli/product-red-22649276
References
Tomopop, “A Collector’s Take: A Brief History of Vinyl,” Tomopop Collectible Toy Culture, October 23, 2010, http:// www.tomopop.com/a-collector-s-take-a-brief-history-ofvinyl-15184.phtml
Jacob Mann jacobmann.us jacob@jacobmann.us