GREEN BRANDING RESEARCH PROJECT
Something that seems to be on everybody’s minds nowadays is greenwashing. How do we avoid it? What are the signifiers? How do we find products that aren’t greenwashing? This research-based design project answers these questions and more. Using textures from various green packaging, handwritten marks, and earth-based colors, this project helps shed some light on the topic of greenwashing and green branding.
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Texture is everything in this poster proclaiming one of the problems in businesses today-—would you rather use your business to protect and preserve the planet we all live on, or make bank destroying it? The contrast of texture from the plant life in the background and the torn up packaging conveys that heavy message, turning heads from the bright colors and keeping eye contact through the bold question being asked.
What better way to showcase the common cues of environmentally conscious branding than a brand style guide? But wait, someone wrote in it! Don’t forget that every story has two sides—while these signifiers can communicate that something is eco-friendly, they can also be used to deceive. Whoever wrote in this also has a good point: most everything in the green industry is nuanced, from the Non GMO Project to glass.
So, everything is nuanced. Then what’s the point in trying to buy products that are supposedly “eco-friendly”? Well, consumers have all the power. Once we start recognizing the cues for greenwashing and holding companies accountable when they greenwash, we can change the way products are packaged. Every little bit makes a difference.
The cherry on top, the pièce de résistance, the soup of the day—this project was turned into a motivational billboard and crowd-funded to be put up on an actual billboard on I-15. Just goes to show that people want change, they’re willing to support the movement, and with help, anything is possible.
