Category — Socially Conscious Advertising

I’m a long-time fan of Shannon South‘s work. Her handbags are beautifully crafted, feminine without being girly and made from sustainably sourced materials. Without a doubt she is a talented designer and artist. But perhaps lesser recognized, is her incredible business savvy. It’s not an easy market to succeed in, with barriers to entry relatively low and so many new designers coming in and out of the space. But, Shannon’s been at it since 2009 and has made a series of thoughtful, strategic changes to her business model in the time since. If I was a betting woman, my money would be on her.

The latest of these shifts is a return to the place where it all started. Remade USA has re-launched as a service to have your leather jackets re-purposed into one-of-a-kind handbags. Loving her tagline: “Upcycle your memories”.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Sarkilahti

To celebrate the launch, they’ve partnered with The Collective to run the Remake My Leather Challenge. Submit your personal story about your old leather jacket to win a redesign into a new bag.

Find out more about the process on the newly re-launched Remade USA site and follow Shannon’s work on her blog at blog.shannonsouth.com.

It’s a beautiful crisp spring day here in NYC. Sun shining, blossoms and baby green leaves blowing in the wind, and the combination of bird song, roaring trucks, whirring street cleaners and car honking that is undeniably New York.

Take a moment today to spend some time outside and notice the amazing beauty that surrounds you, wherever you are. And as you do, perhaps capture a snapshot to submit to Loomstate’s Eath Day Instagram contest:

I am loving this clever campaign out of Olgivy Toronto for Dove. They created a photoshop action under the name Beautify, that simply undid all the edits of manipulations the re-toucher had completed and added the text: “Don’t manipulate our perceptions of real beauty. #dovepositivechange”

Curious to see how many downloads it got and what the reactions were but definitely an innovative approach to an issue Dove has been dedicated to tackling for over a decade.

Support sustainable apparel and save $$ with some great sales from Nau and Alternative Apparel:

Love this video for Mac’s Seafood from Peel&Eat about their Wellfleet Oysters & Clams. Lots of times when I say the words “socially conscious advertising” I get a long blank stare and hear the crickets start chirping. But, here is a perfect example of how simple socially conscious advertising can and should be. A piece that simultaneously raises awareness for the importance of thoughtful business practices like shopping local or traceability and positions Mac’s Seafood at the very center of that universe. Of course the beautiful cinematography and lyrical script doesn’t hurt either. A beautiful portrait of hard, honest work.