DES154 | Green Truth Process Manual by Selena Chen

process manual

4 Introduction

Mission Statement

6 Research

TABLE OF CONTENTS

7 Brainstorm

Case Studies

Survey

10 Moodboard

Creative Brief

Editorial

Visual Identity

16 Logo

Drafts

Dimensions & Usage

Inappropriate Usage

Typography

Color Palette

Business System

Campaign Materials

Quotes

Timeline

Design Analysis

INTRODUCTION

PAGE 4

MISSION STATEMENT Consumers are more environmentally conscious and tend to pay close attention to labels that claim to be “green”, but are these labels honest in their claims? Greenwashing or “green sheen” is a form of marketing strategy used to present products as being environmentally friendly, when in actuality they aren’t “green” at all. Greenwashing is the byproduct of companies who use misleading advertising tactics to trick the public into thinking the company is environmentally friendly. Companies spend more on the marketing and strategy behind selling the product, then creating an actual “green” product. From a shiny, green sticker that reads “All-Natural” or vague claims such as “Non-GMO”, companies are committing greenwashing to stay afloat in the market, and appear as an honest company. How can you choose the honest product?

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RESEARCH

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BRAINSTORM In the beginning of this project, an exercise was done by selecting specific topics and generate keywords that describes the topic, whether it's what the topic is, how people react to it, or just any associated words. Those keywords were written on Sticky Notes and stuck to a poster to be visually bettern seen at once, and after discussion, we decideded that Greenwashing was a pursuable topic as not a lot of people know exactly what the term is.

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TRUTH: #FinishIt “truth”, is a national campaign aimed at curbing cigarette smoking with teens. The goal is educate youth with hard facts in order to understand the manipulation of the tobacco industry. The #FinishIT was created in order to challenge this generation to be the first generation to stop teen smoking altogether. The “truth” campaign consists of an online website, television advertisements, billboards, “on-the-

CASE STUDIES

street” marketing, and promoting at music and sporting events to promote anti-tobacco messages. The campaign designers wanted to develop a brand youth would want to identify with, without forcing the message upon them. They wanted to create something youth would want to channel their rebellious nature and independence upon, and convince them that the tobacco companies wanted to control them.

A series of case studies of advertisement campaign were done to study how effective various campigns were to deliver a message of "real promotion" to the targeted audience. By conducting these case studies, we were able to see how effective certain approaches are.

CHIPOTLE: BACK TO THE START CAMPAIGN DETAILS

Chipotle, as a fast food restaurant chain, is addressing the issues of animal confident, environmental pollution, and chemical usage common in the industry. It wanted to deliver the message of emphsizing on more natural food in an interesting and entertaining way, and to make it’s customer more aware of sustainable farming. The campaign consisted of a of puppet farmer family who switched to factory farming first then back to sustainable approach. Initially wanted to create contrast between the two farming apporach, then transformed into an evolving process changing the farmer from a passive observer to an instigator who transforms his own farm, “closely reflects Chipotle’s own story as they began moving away from using factory farm suppliers 10 or so years ago.” At first debuting on Chipotle’s website and Youtube channel, gaining millions of views. Using the animation as basis for “evolving process,” the company began to take action to fundraise for non profit farming organizations as well as to run festival events for customer, creating engagement in their customers instead. This campaign works especially well as the story and experience around the brand content are all working to achieve the same goal.

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SURVEY & RESULTS There was a total of 22 responses to our survey with questions that uptimately build up to what greenwash is. The following are the key questions: “Have you bought products because they are more environmentally friendly?” Out of 22 responses, 72.7% of participants claimed they bought products simply because it was more environmentally friendly, 27.3% of participants said no. Responses to why they chose this question ranged from, “Because I care about the environment and our planet”, “To be more environmentally conscious”, “I would like to reduce the amount of nonbiodegradable waste I produce”, “Because I’d like to think I’m helping out the environment in an indirect way”, and “Buying products that are environmentally friendly are a small price to pay to help the environment.” Responders chose green products because they want to help the Earth and keep it healthy.

Figure 1: Have you bought products because they are more environmentally friendly?

“Have you seen a questionable label claiming to be “green” or “all-natural” with no substantial claim?” Out of 22 responses, 68.2% of participants said yes to seeing questionable labels claiming to be “green” or “all-natural” with no substantial claim, with 9 people claiming it was on cleaning products. When asked “Do you know what greenwashing is?”, most participants claimed they didn’t know, or they thought they knew. There were only 4 substantial yes answers. From the survey, we found that people do tend to buy products that are labeled as environmentally friendly, but they understand some labels are seem questionable. Participants also didn’t seem knowledgeable about what greenwashing was.

Figure 2: Have you seen a questionable label claiming to be “green” or “allnatural” with no substantial claim?

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MOODBOARD

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NEEDS Green Truth is an awareness campaign for greenwashing. The public generally isn’t aware of what greenwashing is, or that companies use false labels to increase sales to compete with environmentally friendly companies. The goal for this project is to make people more aware of greenwashing, and to encourage people to do research and pay attention to “green” labels. Consumers feel betrayed when companies lie, especially when these companies get away with it. This causes greater distrust with companies and the consumer. Green Truth wants to provide the tools such as the Green Truth kit and knowledge for

CREATIVE BRIEF

consumers to use to inform others about greenwashing, to slowly decrease the number of sins committed.

OBJECTIVES To bring awareness to the seven sins of greenwashing. We want the public to understand the brands they are buying, and know the difference between a fake “natural brand” and an actual brand that is safe for the environment and non-toxic. Our objective is to convince all companies to conduct the necessary research and provide honest, green products for consumers, and to reduce acts of greenwashing to none.

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STRATEGY This project is going to be a national awareness campaign. The project will include marketing materials such as billboards, public transportation ads, t-shirts, buttons, canvas bags, spray bottles, stickers, and a website. We will have social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and SnapChat. The website will be hosted through weebly, buying the domain “www.greentruthcampaign.com” for $16.95 per year. The billboards will be national and in major cities — in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Dallas, New York, Miami, etc. It will range from $1,500 to $30,000 per location per 4 week period. For the Bus shelter ads, it will be $3,000 to $6,500 per ad for a 4 week period. Currently, companies use the seven sins of greenwashing to fool the public into thinking they’re environmentally aware – it’s a public relations tactic that promotes false marketing, or short selling.

BACKGROUND Environmentally conscious brands are creating cleaning products, clothing, hair products, etc., and in order for these big-name companies to stay prevalent in the market, they use greenwashing.

MESSAGE Greenwashing is a greed tactic companies use to mislead consumers and appear supportive of the environment; do your research before you buy. #greensmart

AUDIENCE Young adults (18+) Millennials Strongly opinionated Environmentally aware Capable of changing the future Senior citizens (65+)

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Seasoned; strongly opinionated

EDITORIALS Each member did a 4-6 pages editorial design using the same written copy to emulate specific design magazines. Publications were chosen based on minimalistic style and relevance to environmental issues and science. Consumer Reports, SEED, and Pure Green Magazine were chosen because of these publication’s focus on science and similarity in branding as Green Truth.

closer to the consumer, however, greenwashing widens the gap between the consumer and the company behind the product. Green products start to become a symbol of how these environmentally friendly claims cannot be trusted unless further substantiated. Greenwashing is a reminder to consumers to be careful, and to be aware of the companies and the values they claim to support.

IDENTIFYING HONEST,

Big companies that have been caught committing greenwashing, such as Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle. Coca-Cola faced the consequences when researchers found out they over exaggerated the positive environmental aspects of the bottle. If a company as big as Coca-Cola could commit greenwashing, it was a wake up call to both consumers and businesses. When greenwashing was barely common knowledge, consumers kept falling into companies’ traps and would not think twice about buying a product that appeared to be good for the environment. Consumers are wiser now, and businesses have to be careful about spicing ordinary products with the “green sheen”. Companies, in turn, have to be smarter about how they advertise the product, or do more research to create a product that is actually environmentally beneficial. Companies have to convince consumers of the beneficial qualities of their Earth-friendly product, and not get caught in the process. However, in 1990, Chevron released a series of ad campaigns

GREEN

PRODUCTS GREENWASHING

With the increasing knowledge of climate change and the pressure from governmental policies to turn to more sustainable, green products to protect the Earth’s environment, consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and starting to pay close attention to labels that claim to be green. But are these companies being honest in their claims and labels? Greenwashing or “green sheen” is a marketing strategy used to present products as being environmentally friendly, when in actuality, the claim is false or used to mask a more negative quality. Greenwashing is the byproduct of companies who use misleading advertising tactics to trick the public into thinking the company is environmentally friendly, and more inclined to buy the product. Companies spend more on the marketing and strategy behind selling the product, then creating an actual, honest and green product. From a shiny, green sticker that reads “All-Natural” or vague claims such as “Non-GMO”, companies are committing greenwashing to stay afloat in the market, and appear as an honest company. How can you choose an honestly green product?

Corri Maloney

no endorsement. This occurs often in appliances. They will add a “Energy Star” label on an appliance, but the device was not endorsed by the official Energy Star. As a consumer, keeping these 7 sins in mind will help identify companies who are committing greenwashing. It’s easy to be tricked into thinking buying a green product will be both tough on stains and gentle on the environment. Convincing theconsumer through subliminal messaging is advertising in a nutshell. To understand what these companies are trying to do, there are strategies to identify misleading ads. Are the words used in the ads trying to convince you of something that is more green than it actually is? Does the ad utilize imagery that are commonly associated with being environmentally friendly? Is the ad making claims that have no substantial evidence? Do the claims the ad make seem over exaggerated or too good to be true? Does the ad detract attention from something worse the company operates in? If a company or product is stating a claim that does not seem genuine and slightly questionable, it is most likely greenwashing.

Companies frequently use exaggerated claims to increase sales and stay afloat in the market. Even if it is bad for the environment, for example, flushable wipes, these companies make sure to include claims that will counteract the negative claims. Flushable wipes have been shown to clog sewage pipes and cause damage to septic systems, yet the companies selling these wipes, such as Cottonelle or Charmin, make claims that they are “septic-safe”. How would the consumer be able to know that is the truth, when it is hard to prove the validity of that claim? After the horrific BP oil spill of 2010, BP tried to release a series of advertisements to try to ease the severity of their mistakes, including a $50 million ad campaign where the former CEO, Tony Hayward, made a public apology which ultimately failed. The health of the environment is the last thing on the minds of the companies that commit greenwashing, they just know it is important to the consumer.

TerraChoice, an environmental advertising consultancy, are the masterminds behind the “Sins of Greenwashing” study. Since 2007, TerraChoice has been publishing their findings on companies that commit greenwashing. Their latest 2010 study introduced the “7 Sins of Greenwashing”. Vague labels, and environmental claims with no substantial evidence are all part of the “7 greenwashing sins” companies commit. Once a company commits one of these sins, it is the kiss of death rather, greenwashing. If companies are misleading consumers, how does one make sure to purchase products labeled as green, wisely? The first sin is the “Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off”. This sin is when companies claim a product is green, but this assertion is based on a select few attributes. There are other environmental issues that may come with creating that specific product, which cancels out the green claim. For example, if a cleaning product has a label that says “eco-friendly,” the ingredients may be good, but the bottle itself may not be recyclable which causes more harm than good when it is time to throw the bottle away. The second sin is the “Sin of No Proof”. This sin is when companies make a claim without any substantial evidence to back it up. The third sin is the “Sin of Vagueness”. This is a common sin; companies make vague statements about a product, and these can be misinterpreted by consumers. An example of this sin is “All natural” — being “all natural” does not automatically equal being green. The fourth sin is the “Sin of Irrelevance”. This sin is when companies make claims about a product that is irrelevant or has little meaning. An example is “CFC-free”, because CFCs or chlorofluorocarbon, is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, and is produced as a volatile derivative of methane and ethane, but it is banned by law already. The fifth sin is the “Sin of Lesser of Two Evils” This sin is when companies use a statement that

Companies are now turning to green certifications to prove to the public they are environmentally friendly. An example, similar to how organic foods have the USDA Organic seal, are EcoLabeling and Benefit Corporations (B Corporations). Both the US Federal Trade Commission and the Canadian Consumer Affairs office have issued guidelines for proper use of environmental claims and this includes Eco-labelling. Eco-labelling is standardized by the International Organization for Standardization by the guideline ISO 14024, and is recognized around the world and arose as an an attempt to address the greenwashing issue. They remain one of the most useful tools to avoid greenwashing. Look for products that have been certified by a qualified and independent third-party such as EcoLogo or Green Seal. Both EcoLogo and Green Seal develop standards for environmental leadership in an open, transparent consensus-based process that considers multiple environmental issues throughout a product’s lifecycle (from resource extraction to end-of-life).

“being ‘all

NATURAL’ does NOT automatically equal ‘green’”

detracts attention from a worse impact the product has on the environment. An example is the “organic cigarettes” claim — a quite ironic statement. The sixth sin is the “Sin of Fibbing”. This sin is when companies make a claim that is utterly false. This could be when a dishwasher soap has a claim on the bottle that says “Packaged in 100% Recycled Paper,” but the packaging itself is plastic and obviously did not use recycled paper. Companies commit this sin less often because consumers are wiser and can identify the truth. The seventh sin is the “Sin of Worshiping False Labels”. This sin is when companies place fake labels and try to trick the consumer into thinking the product is endorsed by a third-party, when in actuality there is

ConsumerReports

WHO CAN YOU TRUST? When researching whether or not to trust if a company is offering genuine, green products, one has to remember honesty. The companies that genuinely want to provide products that consumers can use without hurting the environment, are open about their efforts to using safe, nontoxic chemicals and saving the Earth from further destruction. These companies will exhibit honesty in all aspects, and the consumer will be able to identify certifications, evidence behind claims, and have complete transparency. It is all about establishing a sense of trust with consumers, and having nothing to hide.

GREEN CERTIFICATIONS

TACTICS TO IDENTIFY GREENWASHING

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE THE GROWING TREND:

WHAT IS GREENWASHING?

that featured fuzzy animals in order to stray attention away from the fact they are a big-name oil company — clearly not good for the environment. The ads ended up being successful, and brainwashed consumers into excusing Chevron because they were, suddenly, an honest company. Chevron successfully committed the fifth sin, “Sin of Lesser of Two Evils”, and even won the Effie Advertising Award for the successful campaign.

What is a Benefit Corporation? B Corporations, also called Public Benefit Corporation, are companies that use their influence as an established business for good. According to the official website, B Corps are “for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency”. To be part of the 1,600 companies that are already B Corporations, there are several steps corporations have to go through. The first step, the

B Impact Assessment, analyzes the company’s stakeholders and company size, and gives it an overall score after 2-4 hours. After the assessment, an assessment review is scheduled and the B Lab will go into detail on some of the questions that were in the B Impact Assessment and request documentation. After the review is completed, the B Lab will request additional documents, and then the companies will have to complete a disclosure questionnaire and background checks to reveal any sensitive information the company has. Companies have to go through recertification every 2 years, and 10% of the B Corporations are selected for an in-depth Site Review. Becoming a Benefit Corporation is a lengthy, detailed, and informative process, and gives consumers that extra sense of trust in companies that claim to be green. Cradle to Cradle® is another way to be green certified. First introduced by chemist Michael Braungart and architect Bill McDonough, the process works similarly as B Corporations where the company has to go through several assessments and analyses. Whereas B Corporations focuses on the company itself, Cradle to Cradle® focuses on the product being sold, and 5 quality categories. Cradle to Cradle® standards looks at material health, material reutilization, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. The product will then receive a basic, bronze, silver, gold, or platinum mark based on the achievement level and data collected.

sustainable certified products, but products that are also safe and non-toxic. Instead of hiding behind false labels or vague claims, they make sure to substantiate each claim, and list each certification in order to create this sense of trust with consumers.

In TerraChoice’s 2010 study, they stated that “Big box stores offered a much higher percentage (22.8%) of home and family products with legitimate green certifications than either specialty retailers (11.5%) or green boutiques (12.8%)”. Businesses are learning from consumers, and trying to adjust to the growing need to live green. Though it still happens, greenwashing is not as common as it was when it first emerged in the market, and it is evolving. Once consumers started to really scrutinize green products to measure its validity, big companies, in turn, realized they needed to re-allocate resources to increase research on creating more sustainable and greener products. This give-and-take relationship between companies and the consumers keeps greenwashing alive and businesses on their toes. Consumers’ demand for green products rises, and the harder these big companies have to work to stay in the market. An example of a trustworthy, extremely transparent company is Method. Method was one of the first household cleaning products that embraced the growing green trend, but in the right way. Method is seen as a honest, environmentally friendly brand because they are very open about their production, ingredients used, and company morals. They understand the importance of building a strong relationship with consumers, and ensuring a sense of trust. Method’s website has a “beyond the bottle” tab, which includes indepth information on their business, ingredients, packaging, their benefit blueprint, a green glossary, and the details of their soap factory. Method’s benefit blueprint is their mission in “leaving the world better than we found it, working to restore our planet’s natural resources and benefit our communities as we grow our business”. They measure their progress through 5 metrics, their B corp score, compass score, carbon footprint, water usage, and waste footprint. Method even goes so far as to include their own green glossary, which listed “dirty ingredients” that are toxic, and then proceeds to explain, in detail, how the ingredients they use are non-toxic, green, and how their products were one of the world’s first lines of Cradle to Cradle® cleaning products. Method even created a Compass of Clean, which is an internal tool to assess the factors that relate to human and environmental health, ingredient sourcing, and the packaging of Method’s products. Method is seen as a honest, green company because they exemplify their dedication to providing not only environmentally friendly and

WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW? Greenwashing is a growing trend, but as more consumers become aware of the false labels and vague certifications, they lose their trust in these brands and turn to other brands who are providing honest, green products. Memorizing the seven sins of greenwashing and identifying green marketing tactics companies use will allow consumers to make smarter choices, and gradually develop and improve the relationship between the companies and the consumer. The market grows because of the consumer, and as companies realize they need to buckle down and provide supporting research and certification to appear as a legit, green company to consumers, greenwashing will become a trend of the past.

ConsumerReports

PAGE 13

FEATURES

SIN OF THE HIDDEN TRADE-OFF

GREENWASHING

This sin is when companies claim a product is green based on a select few attributes. This is a problem because there are other environmental issues that may come with creating that specific product.

How do I identify greenwashing? There are tactics available to help prevent falling into the “green sheen” trap; mainly the 7 sins of greenwashing. Green certifications allow consumers to trust certain environmentally friendly brands because the main question is, who can you trust? Pictures by Selena Chen SEED May 2017

claim without any substantial evidence to back it up. The third sin is the “Sin of Vagueness”. This is a common sin; companies make vague statements about a product, and these can be misinterpreted by consumers. An example of this sin is “All natural” — being “all natural” does not automatically equal being green. The fourth sin is the “Sin of Irrelevance”. This sin is when companies make claims about a product that is irrelevant or has little meaning. An example is “CFC-free”, because CFCs or chlorofluorocarbon, is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, and is produced as a volatile derivative of methane and ethane, but it is banned by law already. The fifth sin is the “Sin of Lesser of Two Evils” This sin is when companies use a statement that detracts attention from a worse impact the product has on the environment. An example is the “organic cigarettes” claim — a quite ironic statement. The sixth sin is the “Sin of Fibbing”. This sin is when companies make a claim that is utterly false. This could be when a dishwasher soap has a claim on the bottle that says “Packaged in 100%

SIN OF IRRELEVANCE This sin is when companies make claims about a product that is irrelevant or has little meaning.

Recycled Paper,” but the packaging itself is plastic and obviously did not use recycled paper. Companies commit this sin less often because consumers are wiser and can identify the truth. The seventh sin is the “Sin of Worshiping False Labels”. This sin is when companies place fake labels and try to trick the consumer into thinking the product is endorsed by a third-party, when in actuality there is no endorsement. This occurs often in appliances. They will add a “Energy Star” label on an appliance, but the device was not endorsed by the official Energy Star. As a consumer, keeping these 7 sins in mind will help identify companies who are committing greenwashing. It’s easy to be tricked into thinking buying a green product will be both tough on stains and gentle on the environment.

SIN OF LESSER OF TWO EVILS

SIN OF WORSHIPING FALSE LABELS

This sin is when companies use a statement that detracts attention from a worse impact the product has on the environment.

This sin is when companies place fake labels and try to trick the consumer into thinking the product is endorsed by a third-party, when in actuality there is no endorsement.

SIN OF FIBBING This sin is when companies make a claim that is utterly false.

Convincing the consumer through subliminal messaging is advertising in a nutshell. To understand what these companies are trying to do, there are strategies to identify misleading ads. Are the words used in the ads trying to convince you of something that is more green than it actually is? Does the ad utilize imagery that are commonly associated with being environmentally friendly? Is the ad making claims that have no substantial evidence? Do the claims the ad make seem over exaggerated or too good to be true? Does the ad detract attention from something worse the company operates in? If a company or product is stating a claim that does not seem genuine and slightly questionable, it is most likely greenwashing. THE EFFECTS OF GREENWASHING

Greenwashing effects consumers, companies, and the environment. The public is more aware of climate change and the negative damage a consumerist culture has on the environment. Consumers are more inclined to choose brands that appear to be green and not detrimental towards the environment because it creates the sense of a better purchase, and companies have caught on that consumers do not fall into traps

so easily. Packaging design has evolved to mimic a natural aesthetic — ranging from color palettes of greens and neutral tones, accompanied by illustrated drawings of plants. The company wants to appear closer to the consumer in order to hide the hidden motives of these money-hungry corporations. Instead of feeling closer to the consumer, however, greenwashing widens the gap between the consumer and the company behind the product. Green products start to become a symbol of how these environmentally friendly claims cannot be trusted unless further substantiated. Greenwashing is a reminder to consumers to be careful, and to be aware of the companies and the values they claim to support. Big companies that have been caught committing greenwashing, such as Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle. Coca-Cola faced t he consequencesw he nr e s e archer s found out they over exaggerated the positive environmental aspects of the bottle. If a company as big as Coca-Cola could commit greenwashing, it was a wake up call to both consumers and businesses. When greenwashing was barely common knowledge, consumers kept falling into companies’ traps and would not think twice about buying a product that appeared to be good for the environment. Consumers are wiser

WRITTEN by HANNAH LEE PHOTOGRAPHS by SELENA CHEN & CORRI MALONEY

THE EFFECTS OF GREENWASHING Greenwashing effects consumers, companies, and the environment. The public is more aware of climate change and the negative damage a consumerist culture has on the environment. Consumers are more inclined to choose brands that appear to be green and not detrimental towards the environment because it creates the sense of a better purchase, and companies have caught on that consumers do not fall into traps so easily. Packaging design has evolved to mimic a natural aesthetic — ranging from color palettes of greens and neutral tones, accompanied by illustrated drawings of plants. The company wants to appear closer to the consumer in order to hide the hidden motives of these money-hungry corporations. Instead of feeling closer to the consumer, however, greenwashing widens the gap between the consumer and the company behind the product. Green products start to become a symbol of how these environmentally friendly claims cannot be trusted unless further substantiated. Greenwashing is a reminder to consumers to be careful, and to be aware of the companies and the values they claim to support.

WHAT IS GREENWASHING? With the increasing knowledge of climate change and the pressure from governmental policies to turn to more sustainable, green products to protect the Earth’s environment, consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and starting to pay close attention to labels that claim to be green. But are these companies being honest in their claims and labels? Greenwashing or “green sheen” is a marketing strategy used to present products as being environmentally friendly, when in actuality, the claim is false or used to mask a more negative quality. Greenwashing is the byproduct of companies who use misleading advertising tactics to trick the public into thinking the company is environmentally friendly, and more inclined to buy the product. Companies spend more on the marketing and strategy behind selling the product, then creating an actual, honest and green product. From a shiny, green sticker that reads “All-Natural” or vague claims such as “Non-GMO”, companies are committing greenwashing to stay afloat in the market, and appear as an honest company. How can you choose an honestly green product? TACTICS TO IDENTIFY GREENWASHING TerraChoice, an environmental advertising consultancy, are the masterminds behind the “Sins of Greenwashing” study. Since 2007, TerraChoice has been publishing their findings on companies that commit greenwashing. Their latest 2010 study introduced the “7 Sins of Greenwashing”. Vague labels, and environmental claims with no substantial evidence are all part of the “7 greenwashing sins” companies commit. Once a company commits one of these sins, it is the kiss of death - rather, greenwashing. If companies are misleading consumers, how does one make sure to purchase products labeled as green, wisely?

Big companies that have been caught committing greenwashing, such as Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle. Coca-Cola faced the consequences when researchers found out they over exaggerated the positive environmental aspects of the bottle. If a company as big as CocaCola could commit greenwashing, it was a wake up call to both consumers and businesses. When greenwashing was barely common knowledge, consumers kept falling into companies’ traps and would not think twice about buying a product that appeared to be good for the environment. Consumers are wiser now, and businesses have to be careful about spicing ordinary products with the “green sheen”. Companies, in turn, have to be smarter about how they advertise the product, or do more research to create a product that is actually environmentally beneficial. Companies have to convince consumers of the beneficial qualities of their Earth-friendly product, and not get caught in the process. However, in 1990, Chevron released a series of ad campaigns that featured fuzzy animals in order to stray attention away from the fact they are a big-name oil company — clearly not good for the environment. The ads ended up being successful, and brainwashed consumers into excusing Chevron because they were, suddenly, an honest company. Chevron successfully committed the fifth sin, “Sin of Lesser of Two Evils”, and even won the Effie Advertising Award for the successful campaign.

The first sin is the “Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off”. This sin is when companies claim a product is green, but this assertion is based on a select few attributes. There are other environmental issues that may come with creating that specific product, which cancels out the green claim. For example, if a cleaning product has a label that says “eco-friendly,” the ingredients may be good, but the bottle itself may not be recyclable which causes more harm than good when it is time to throw the bottle away. The second sin is the “Sin of No Proof”. This sin is when companies make a claim without any substantial evidence to back it up. The third sin is the “Sin of Vagueness”. This is a common sin; companies make vague statements about a product, and these can be misinterpreted by consumers. An example of this sin is “All natural” — being “all natural” does not automatically equal being green. The fourth sin is the “Sin of Irrelevance”. This sin is when companies make claims about a product that is irrelevant or has little meaning. An example is “CFC-free”, because CFCs or chlorofluorocarbon, is an organic compound that contains carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, and is produced as a volatile derivative of methane and ethane, but it is banned by law already. The fifth sin is the “Sin of Lesser of Two Evils” This sin is when companies use a statement that detracts attention from a worse impact the product has on the environment. An example is the “organic cigarettes” claim — a quite ironic statement. The sixth sin is the “Sin of Fibbing”. This sin is when companies make a claim that is utterly false. This could be when a dishwasher soap has a claim on the bottle that says “Packaged in 100% Recycled Paper,” but the packaging itself is plastic and obviously did not use recycled paper. Companies commit this sin less often because consumers are wiser and can identify the truth. The seventh sin is the “Sin of Worshiping False Labels”. This sin is when companies place fake labels and try to trick the consumer into thinking the product is

Companies frequently use exaggerated claims to increase sales and sta afloat in the market. Even if it is bad for the environment, for example, flushable wipes, these companies make sure to include claims that will counteract the negative claims. Flushable wipes have been shown to clog sewage pipes and cause damage to septic systems, yet the companies selling these wipes, such as Cottonelle or Charmin, make claims that they are “septic-safe”. How would

PURGREEN | 05

now, and businesses have to be careful about spicing ordinary products with the “green sheen”. Companies, in turn, have to be smarter about how they advertise the product, or do more research to create a product that is actually environmentally beneficial. Companies have to convince consumers of the beneficial qualities of their Earth-friendly product, and not get caught in the process. However, in 1990, Chevron released a series of ad campaigns that featured fuzzy animals in order to stray attention away from the fact they are a big-name oil company — clearly not good for the environment. The ads ended up being successful, and brainwashed consumers into excusing Chevron because they were, suddenly, an honest company. Chevron successfully committed the fifth sin, “Sin of Lesser of Two Evils”, and even won the Effie Advertising Award for the successful campaign. Companies frequently use exaggerated claims to increase sales and stay afloat in the market. Even if it is bad for the environment, for example, flushable wipes, these companies make sure to include claims that will counteract the negative claims. Flushable wipes have been shown to clog sewage pipes and cause damage to septic systems, yet the companies selling these wipes, such as Cottonelle or Charmin, make claims SEED May 2017

WWW.SEEDMAGAZINE.COM

endorsed by a third-party, when in actuality there is no endorsement. This occurs often in appliances. They will add a “Energy Star” label on an appliance, but the device was not endorsed by the official Energy Star. As a consumer, keeping these 7 sins in mind will help identify companies who are committing greenwashing. It’s easy to be tricked into thinking buying a green product will be both tough on stains and gentle on the environment.

Reasons why you should be aware of the growing trend: greenwashing.

PAGE 14

IDENTIFY HONEST, GREEN PRODUCTS

Selena Chen

SIN OF NO PROOF

This is a common sin; companies make vague statements about a product, and these can be misinterpreted by consumers.

This sin is when companies make a claim without any substantial evidence to back it up.

TACTICS TO IDENTIFY GREENWASHING

negative quality. Greenwashing is the byproduct of companies who use misleading advertising tactics to trick the public into thinking the company is environmentally friendly, and more inclined to buy the product. Companies spend more on the marketing and strategy behind selling the product, then creating an actual, honest and green product. From a shiny, green sticker that reads “All-Natural” or vague claims such as “Non-GMO”, companies are committing greenwashing to stay afloat in the market, and appear as an honest company. How can you choose an honestly green product?

Hannah Lee

SIN OF VAGUENESS

VISUAL IDENTITY GRAPHIC STANDARD

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LOGO For Green Truth’s logo, the two separate circles represent the consumer and the company. Greenwashing is about the relationship between the consumer and the company, and how each manipulates the behavior of each other. The two circles intersect and forms a leaf, which represents the aspect of greenwashing is developed from this give-and-take relationship. The thin typeface used for “Green Truth” correlates with the thin lines that form the veins of the leaf.

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LOGO ITERATIONS Many iteration of the logo were made. At first there was an idea of highlighting the "en tru" part of green truth as it sounds like "untruth" in slang. However, that did not read and with the different iteration of the highlight, it communicated different ideas of paint or other campaigns. Ultimately it was settled on the first logo iteration for minimalism and simple shapes.

Green Truth

Green Truth Green Truth GreenTruth

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DIM ENS ION S & USA GE The logo must be remained in the same dimension as illustrated. Using the space between the circular icon and logo text as a unit of X, the circular icon must be 10 times taller in ration, and the text must be 6.5 times as tall, in aspect with width as well. The official logo must be used against

1 INCH

a white background, while the monochrome logo can be inversed out to white to be applied onto colored background.

1 INCH

The logos below are the appropriate usages and alternatives under certain conditions:

10X Symbol only when smaller than 1 inch

GREE N TRUTH

GREE N TRUT H

Monochromatic Logo

Outline Logo

Alternative with Text on the Right

6.5X 14X

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INAPPROPRIATE USAGE

GREEN TRUTH Rotating the Symbol Only

Stretching without Proportion

One Color Fill on the Symbol

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PROXIMA NOVA THIN ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890!@#$%

PROXIMA NOVA REGULAR ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890!@#$% PROXIMA NOVA BOLD ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890!@#$%

TYPOGRAPHY Proxima Nova Thin was used on the logo with a tracking of of 50 pt in all capalized letters. Proxima Nova Bold was used for headers in all caps with a tracking of 75 pt, to match the logo. Proxima Nova Regular was usedon the body text in 10 pt font size, no tracking, and a leading of 18 pt.

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LOGO COLORS The official color palette of the Green Truth campaign consists of four colors, taken from the logo. WIth a gradient of 3 shades of green to simulate an overlap between consumers and comanies, those 3 colors are used as a hierarchy from the lightest to darkest in order of imporantance. Black is used for body text, and the 80% black is used for text against colored backgrounds for less contrast.

CMYK

13 5 70 0

CMYK

30 10 91 2

CMYK

56 17 70 6

CMYK

0 0 0 100

CMYK

RGB

226 221 112

RGB

184 193 66

RGB

118 161 108

RGB

000

RGB

HEX

e3dc6f

HEX

b8c042

HEX

75a16b

HEX

000000

HEX

0 0 0 80 0 0 58585b

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BUSINESS SYSTEM

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BUSINESS CARD Those who are a part of the Green Truth development and organization receive business cards to distribute. All cards are personalized to provide the name, business title, contact information, and website information. The business card showcases part of the Green Truth logo.

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ENVELOPE The front of the envelope contains the sender's information paired with the full campaign logo. The backside of the envelope contains the website information as well as a larger version of the campaign logo.

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LETTERHEAD The letterhead is minimal with a smaller, full campaign logo accompanied with company contact information. All letters are to be printed using Proxima Nova.

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CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

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BROCHURE The Green Truth brochure is a combination of a card game to ensure memory of the 7 Sins of Greenwashing, and a way to inform new supporters of how Green Truth wants to bring awareness to greenwashing. The 7 Sins of Greenwashing card game consists of 1-4 players, and 2 roles: the expert and the consumers. The expert reads out each sinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s descriptions and corresponding examples, and the consumers have to figure out which of the 3 examples is not true.

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SIGNAGE The Green Truth campaign will have flyers and several posters that promote aspects of the campaign, such as the 7 Sins of Greenwashing. These signs will stick to the Green Truth brand, and be a way to visibly spread awareness of the campaign, and what greenwashing is.

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MERCHANDISE Green Truth merchandise will consist of t-shirts, dad hats, and totebags. All three will sport the Green Truth logo. The t-shirts and dad hats are to be printed on quality, clean, white cotton while the totebags are printed out recycled fabric.

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AMBASSADOR KIT The complete ambassador kit contains all promotional items of the campaign. This includes all apparel, tote bag, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 7 Sins of Greenwashingâ&#x20AC;? game and brochure, green cleaning product, leaf sponge, and Green Truth stickers. This kits are distributed among those who wish to purchase the kit and provided to social media influencers to endorse the campaign.

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WEBSITE The Green Truth website is the main digital presence and point of contact for campaign followers. It is where the Green Truth kits eventually can be ordered, and information about upcoming events and detailed information on sponsorships and endorsements can be found. Website URL: http://greentruthcampaign.weebly.com

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QUOTES

Items

Quantity

Price

Business Card

200

$65.43

Brochures

1000

$327.25

Stickers

5000

$122.88

T-Shirt

5000

$437.50

Totebags

500

$3441.58

Flyers

1000

$40.25

Posters (18 x 24)

1000

$462.00

Bus Shelter Ads

$580 for Posters, $1500 per Shelter

Billboards

$20,000 for 4 weeks

Website

$216

Total

$33,192.98

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Planning - 4-6 weeks Printing merchandise Tote bags Stickers Spray bottle Water bottle T-Shirt Hat Put together Green Truth kits Set up social media sites Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat #honestlygreen

TIMELINE

Implementation - 4 weeks Endorsements Jennifer Beals Method Collaborative advertisement Greenpeace Launch - 4 weeks Send out Green Truth kits YouTube sponsorship videos Billboards Bus shelter ads Post Campaign - 1 year College ambassadors TedTalks

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DESIGN ANALYSIS

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With the increasing knowledge of climate change and the pressure from governmental policies to turn to more sustainable, green products to protect the Earth’s environment, consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and starting to pay close attention to labels that claim to be green. But a lot of these companies are not being truthful in their claims. Greenwashing or “green sheen” is a marketing strategy used to present products as being environmentally friendly, when in actuality, the claim is false or used to mask a more negative quality. Greenwashing is the byproduct of companies who use misleading advertising tactics to trick the public into thinking the company is environmentally friendly, and more inclined to buy the product. Companies spend more on the marketing and strategy behind selling the product, then creating an actual, honest and green product. From a shiny, green sticker that reads “All-Natural” or vague claims such as “Non-GMO”, companies are committing greenwashing to stay afloat in the market, and appear as an honest company. Green Truth is a campaign to bring awareness to greenwashing, and prevent companies from tricking consumers into buying supposed “green products”. The public generally isn’t aware

INTRODUCTION

of what greenwashing is, or that companies use false labels to increase sales to compete with environmentally friendly companies. The goal for this project is to make people more aware of greenwashing, and to encourage people to do research and pay attention to “green” labels. To bring awareness to the seven sins of greenwashing. We want the public to understand the brands they are buying, and know the difference between a fake “natural brand” and an actual brand that is safe for the environment and non-toxic. Green Truth was started by 3 graphic designers from University of California, Davis: Selena Chen, Corri Maloney, and Hannah Lee. The designers wanted to create a campaign that brought light to a little known issue -- keeping the brand of the campaign approachable and meaningful towards promoting green truth. After learning about greenwashing in a course on sustainable design, and experiencing first-hand companies who committed greenwashing with cleaning products, the 3 set out to build awareness about what greenwashing is, and how to be smart about identifying it. Consumers feel betrayed when companies lie, especially when these companies get away with it. This causes greater distrust with companies and the consumer. Green Truth wants to provide the tools and knowledge for consumers to use to inform others about greenwashing, and slowly decrease the number of sins committed.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT From a shiny, green sticker that reads “All-Natural” or vague claims such as “Non-GMO”, companies are committing greenwashing to stay afloat in the market, and appear as an honest company; so how can you choose an honestly green product?

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OBJECTIVE During the campaign’s first 4-6 weeks, the Green Truth campaign will prepare and set up a solid and strong digital and public presence. Utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and SnapChat to spread awareness of the campaign, and distributing flyers, posters, and other printed paraphernalia to build up to the initial launch. Following the campaign’s 4-6 weeks, the campaign’s next 4 weeks will consist of endorsements from public figures and companies. Green Truth will gain endorsements from Jennifer Beals, an actress and advocate for fighting against using safer chemicals, and Method, a B Corp company who specializes in creating sustainable, green household products. By sending these environmental public figures and companies the #honestlygreen kits, and utilizing collaborative advertisement, these endorsements will gain Green Truth the public engagement and introduction to what greenwashing is, and how relevant it is to get involved. The campaign’s next month will consist of the launch stage. After gaining public recognition and interest in the purpose of living #honestlygreen, Green Truth will start sending out the Green Truth kits and creating YouTube sponsorship videos to grow support for the campaign and gain more endorsements. Along with billboard, bus shelter ads, and posting posters around cities, the campaign will grow nationally and start to gain traction with improving lower rates of greenwashing, and forcing companies to become honest in their certification and sustainability. After 1 year of launching the campaign, Green Truth will move on to recruiting college ambassadors, to influence consumers early on. Green Truth will also participate in Ted Talks and continue to work to providing honest, green products for consumers.

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METHODOLOGY During the campaignâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial 4-6 weeks, the Green Truth design team will be setting up the marketing aspect. The design team will assemble the #honestlygreen kits. Merchandise will be printed and separated: tote bags, t-shirts, hats, spray bottles, the 7 Sins of Greenwashing sponges, and stickers. For social media, the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and SnapChat accounts will be created, and the timelines for posting and content will be prepared. Accompanying flyers, posters, brochures, and other paraphernalia will be designed and printed. All marketing materials will stress the #honestlygreen and greentruthcampaign.com website to ensure a solid digital and public presence. In the next 4 weeks, the marketing and public outreach teams will work to gain endorsements from public figures and companies that support sustainability and fight against corporate lies. Figures such as Jennifer Beals, who already advocates for using safer chemicals, and companies like Method that has detailed certifications and explanations of their sustainable and green practices will align with the goals of Green Truth, and create a stronger campaign. After gaining endorsements and sponsorships, the following 4 weeks will be the launch stage of the campaign. During this stage, the public outreach team will distribute Green Truth kits nationally. The marketing team will create YouTube sponsorship videos with significant YouTubers, as well as design and buy billboard and bus shelter ad spaces to increase visibility and strengthen the brand. After 1 year, the marketing team will start to recruit college ambassadors to attract young students to the cause. The original creators of the Green Truth campaign, Selena Chen, Corri Maloney, and Hannah Lee will present Ted Talks about greenwashing, and the effects it has on the environment and consumers. The presence of Green Truth will continue to grow and decrease the prevalence of greenwashing in the market.

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EVALUATION In order to ensure all objectives are met, Green Truth will make sure to have passionate, hardworking, and serious individuals who want to see change in how the world treats our environment to help grow and build the campaign. The marketing team will consist of individuals who understand how consumers think, and how to advertise and grow a presence efficiently and stay relevant after several years. The marketing team will meet weekly to discuss new trends and analyze wins and losses to ensure the campaign continues to make a difference and achieve its goals of getting rid of greenwashing. The public outreach team will have strong and experienced knowledge of public relations, and gaining the right sponsors and endorsements. The Green Truth team will be working towards one goal: of creating better sustainable products and a trust between consumer and company.

PROJECT SUMMARY Greenwashing is a growing trend, but as more consumers become aware of the false labels and vague certifications, they lose their trust in these brands and turn to other brands who are providing honest, green products. Memorizing the seven sins of greenwashing and identifying green marketing tactics companies use will allow consumers to make smarter choices, and gradually develop and improve the relationship between the companies and the consumer. The market grows because of the consumer, and as companies realize they need to buckle down and provide supporting research and certification to appear as a legit, green company to consumers, greenwashing will become a trend of the past.

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Green Truth Process Manual By Selena Chen, Hannah Lee and Corri Maloney DES154 Spring 2017, UC Davis