But that isn't to say I have nothing more to say. Au contraire, mes freres and frerettes--I've been thinking quite a bit about le monde d'entrepreneurs qui répondent à des enjeux sociaux et environnementaux. In a few more weeks, after I wrap up some things in the so-called real world, yours truly will be back with a vengeance.
From a Flickr pool on Middle Eastern graphic design, a promo for a Riyadh charity fashion show.
As the above article notes, do-gooders are finally becoming more aware of the fundamental value of design in their work. For Design Week, Think Public offered to undertake a pro bono design project based on proposals from housing association residents.
Also worth checking out: ongoing work on the potential role of design in improving healthcare.
I'm still immersed in some other work, but in the meantime anyone who feels the lack of a critical perspective on social enterprise should read this poignant post from The Social Business, which reflects on the disjunction between the movement's rah-rah boosterism and real-world failures.
The signage from the shop, (which cost a small fortune) hacked down and thrown to the floor by the organic retailer that we'd invited in to take over our lease. (I'm not suggesting they shouldn't have done that - it was just a brutal image for 10am on a Sunday morning). . . .
It's a story I've told in parts before - but we basically couldn't make it pay - and eventually we went into administration. From £250k a year sales of fair trade goods to nothing. It's why I am how I am. I'm a great enthusiast for finding entrepreneurial ways to change society. But I can't stand some of the nonsense that surrounds the social enterprise movement - the hype, the spin, the cosy consensus that appears to exist amongst many with influence in the sector.
It's why my to do-list for the blog this week involves reading the Coalition's new research about the state of the social enterprise sector, and finding out more about the failure of Secure, a social enterprise which was set up to deliver prison health services and which has now gone bust. I don't deliberately seek to find fault, to be cynical, or to point the finger. But if we are to really change society, we need to celebrate successes, but also learn from things when they go wrong, and challenge some of the exuberance.
The designer of a charity fundraising appeal explains her choices on Flickr:
This letter was designed to evoke the holiday spirit of giving in animal lovers. Each year the Lake Shore Animal Shelter asks its members and the community to help homeless animals by donating money to their no-kill shelter. The piece needs to stand out amongst all of the charities seeking funds at this time of year. I decided instead of using many pictures of various dogs and cats they care for, to use only one dog on the page allowed me to make him large, and be the focal point of the piece. This has a lot more impact and is very visually appealing.
I'd be interested in seeing more reflections like this. More often than charities realize, words can be the least important part of an effective fundraising appeal.
The Illinois Lottery has received a fair amount of attention in recent years, from its connections to disgraced former governor Rod Blagojevich to the state's controversial plan to sell the lottery to private investors. Now, for the holiday season the Illinois Lottery has launched a new ad campaign using the Christian hymn "Joy to the World" to flog its scratch-off games, a move that has led at least one Christian to complain to the Chicago Sun Times:
In Monday’s paper, columnist Lewis Lazare notes that Energy BBDO has created a series of holiday television commercials using the song “Joy to the World” to sell—of all things—lottery tickets! The new lyrics and retro music may be captivating and clever, but are the people at BBDO familiar with the original words to this Christmas hymn? Or do they care?
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”
Or is Linus the only one who still understands what Christmas is all about?
Dan McGuire, Bensenville
It's a paradigmatic case of cultural appropriation, with one community's traditions used to promote ostensibly contradictory values. And as MultiCultClassics observes, the campaign doesn't stop there--"It’s gone from blasphemy to Black clichés."
A powerful use of cartoon imagery in an ad for Brazil's Children's Cancer Support Center.
Still, as this incident from Oregon reminds us, a charity is not immune from intellectual property claims pertaining to the use of copyrighted or trademarked cartoons. Even children's cancer charities have been known to receive cease & desist letters.
Above: an ad for jewelry auctioned in a Feed the Children benefit on Second Life.
The complexity of personal meaning in a bottle.
