CTS//Hyperreality/The Man's Gaze Seminar.

CTS//Hyperreality/The Man's Gaze Seminar
Notes from this morning's seminar with tutor, Richard Miles.



HYPERREALITY


- Discussed Plato's allegory of the cave- as an allegory of society. Society is kept under control and believe what they are lead to believe- never questioning their reality. Our knowledge of reality is closer to the images cast on a wall than the world outside. What "we" think is not real- but it is hyperreal.

- Jean Baudrillard (Philosopher) is a post- Marxist. "We have no way of accessing reality"- stemmed from Western corporate, commercial images- creates a distancing from the real world.

- Commodity culture removes us from the true reality of the world and detaches us from society, eg. Hadon Sundblom (1930's)'s depiction of a red-clothed Santa Claus for Coca-Cola.


- Images cause a physical effect on ourselves and how we engage (eg The Pepsi challenge- not being able to  distinguish the taste difference between Coca-Cola and Pepsi in a blind taste test).


- Jean Baudillard- Post Structuralist, French intellectual. Other contemporaries included Derrida, Barthes, Foucault (followed on from Structuralism- where the structure of language is assigned to other things).


- We live through images, and they mediate our existence.


- Georges Bataille, Philosopher, Novelist and Poet- was a Surrealist, but was "kicked out" for being "insane"- talked about ritual sacrifice and mortality heavily in his works.


- What remains is simulacra, and what fades is reality. The simulacra then leads to the creation of other simulacra (no basis in reality, only in simulation- gets further and further away from reality- our only understanding comes from repeats and copies). 


- Our experiences are not always genuine emotion- by preceded by simulacra which informs our reality (eg New York as depicted in films).


- Ribena is a chemical simulacra of blackcurrant (!).


- Hyperreality is how the copies make an effect on the real world. How the image informs reality.


- Spinal Tap are a simulacra of metal bands.


- Disney is an example of the hyperreal.





THE GAZE


- Berger, 1972, "Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at."


- Women are the secondary gender, therefore made for men's interests, Biblical foundations.


- Inequality- Men are producers, made to serve the interests of men.


- Engles, 'The Origin of the Family', pre- historic families were matriarchal and non- monogamous. Due to the birth of posession and commodities (spears, axes, weapons) the family unit was formed as males wanted to be sure they could pass possessions on to future generations, their own biological children.

- Hans Memling's 'Vanity'- she doesn't challenge our gaze, she is passive. The male ideal of a perfect woman- these images are the foundation of pornography, made for rich men to fantasise.

LECTURE VIII//JEAN BAUDRILLARD & POSTMODERNISM.

LECTURE VIII///JEAN BAUDRILLARD & POSTMODERNISM.

Notes from today's lecture session.
LECTURE WITH ANDY BROADY (sp?)

AIM
To examine and contexualise Jean Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality.


OBJECTIVES


1// To foreground Baudrillard's position, by showing how it develops out of a Marxist critique of capitalism;
2// To examine how Baudrillard's analysis of advertising led him to argue that consumer's engagements with commodities had begun function like a language;
3// To explore how Baudrillard extended this analysis into a fully blown theory of postmodernism.




- How the increased production in Western society transformed the structure of consumer experience.
- 1968, 'The System of Objects'- the rise of promotion & advertising taking on a primary role in consumer's disposition.
- 1970/80's- 'The mirror of production' he integrated the rise of the mass media into the analysis and developed an argument about the representations of saturated perception- a hyper-real world where reality is founded in simulacra.
- Simulacra is the dominant form of image production in modern society- in films such as 'Blade Runner' and 'The Matrix'- A dystopian story about questioning the reality of the world he inhabits (the mental projection of the digital self). Reality is reduced to a blank, white expanse which is filled with constructed images.
- Baudrillard refers to "no reality outside themselves"- corroding a tangible sense of reality. The postmodern consumers sense of the world around them is generated by the bombardment of simulacra.
- Baudrillard's ideas were grounded in Marxism. The investigation of the development post-war developed his theories and investigations. 
- Marx talked about the "labour" process- shaping environment through industry, and how our own experiences are routed and conditioned by our environment. Through his critique of capitalism, he talks about how we become alienated by this condition- the "universal condition...between man and nature"- human experience and the relationship between the environment and a change of consciousness- man's own productive capacity. 
- Commodities are possessed with "exchange value"- one quality to be exchanged for another. Each commodity can be weighed against another- qualitative as opposed to quantitative. One use value is only worth as much as another to which it is deemed to be equivalent. 
- We are forced to conceptualise the objects around us and the indirect relationship we have with the world.


- Under capitalism a workers labour becomes a commodity they must sell in order to live- directing the world around you to suit your own wishes is destroyed under capitalism (in Marxist theory). We have to "sell ourselves" in order to survive. The externalisation of the worker in his project is existing outside of him- alien, an autonomous power- the exchange disconnects us with products and commodities. 


- When people produce goods for the market, the value is set by their value to be exchanged by other things. The labour is not embodied by it's usefulness, but the ability of exchange. People's labour is an exchange commodity also.

- The transformation of production can be rooted in capitalist production from 'The Principles of Scientific Management', 1911- industralisation makes labour far more efficient (assembly lines, etc)- Henry Ford, Michigan, USA, 1913.
- Post war period there was a boom in manufacturing- assembly line production was now the normal process of construction and manufacturing. This massive production needed to be met with the rise of demand. Large quantities of the same commodities, this demand needed to be made consistent. Therefore, a corresponding market developed- publicity and advertising.  


- John Berger 'Ways of seeing', Chapter 7 discusses issues of advertising, "Publicity is not merely an assembly of competing messages... it is a language in itself which is always being used to make the same general proposal...publicity, as a system, only makes a single proposal. It proposes that we transform ourselves and our lives by buying something more." Every advert says the same thing to us "buy more things, your life will be improved."
- Advertised objects are often personified, with human characteristics- buying the products we will displace this characteristic onto the product.
- Commodities are made equatable to desires and wants- the language of publicity.
- Baudrillard examines the outlines of marketing- advertising codes products that determines the consumer's relationships with them. The object has it's effect when it transfers it's meaning onto the consumer. 

- The fundamental task of advertising is to confirm the consumer's right to enrich their existence, and to make them happy- convincing that their products will fulfill the consumer's needs- focus groups.

- Through products, advertising forces to meet the persuasion and world of needs. Mass production requires constant demand for consumer goods if it is to be sustained.


- The environment of shopping (1970 essay) Baudrillard talks about the layout of shop windows and department stores- the glamourisation of products, abundance of goods. Signifying feasting, consumerism needs, desires and fantasies (are embodied). 
- Through exposure to advertising and these commercial environments, we are all made to desire in the same way. Baudrillard starts to discuss how the display of products are similar to the linguistic sign (concept- signified, sound/image- signifier). Words are only valuable as part of a full language. Making connections between objects and their meaning- dog/chien/hund (words for dogs)- the signifier creates the signified as their is an established visual/audio communication enforced.
- One must consider how the attachments create a system of signs and how they are constructed by relations of difference (LANG theory/language). Adverts converge- car insurance/Sainsbury's/BMW's, etc- no particular arrangement, similar relationship with billboards, etc.
- In hyperreality images take on a life as their own- templates, "new realities". Simulacra overtakes and shapes the manner in which we respond to our environment- extracting meanings from concrete social relations and deploys them within the media.

- Disneyland is a "perfect model" of simulation- a play of illusions and phantasms, pirates, frontier, future, etc. A fantastical environment which distracts from the environment outside of it- a distraction from the "corruption of reality in daily life". 


- Simulacra also invades politics- recorded in monitored opinion polls and inform political decisions (televised debates, etc). Politicans are very aware of what is being said by the public and the media- this influences policy making. 
- Reference to American Psycho (post modernist), product placement, etc. Every aspect of Patrick Bateman's life is matched against products against which he has generated his own identity.

Lecture VII//IDENTITY.

LECTURE VII/IDENTITY

Notes from today's lecture.

SUMMARY

- Historical concepts of identity.

- Foucault's 'discourse' methodoloy.

- Contemporary practice.

- 'Postmodern' theories, Zygmunt Bauman.

- Identity in the digital domain.

THEORIES OF IDENTITY

- ESSENTIALISM (traditional approach).
- Our biological make up and what makes up who we are.
- Inner essence of who we are.
- POST MODERN THEORISTS DISAGREE.
- Post-Modern theorists are ANTI-ESSENTIALS.


ESSENTIALISM


- Physiognomy
- Phrenology
- "Quack" Scientists- no evidence or backing.
- Compartmentalising the brain into different sections- aspiring, domestic, reflective, etc- the notion that criminal tendencies are inherited. The different parts of the brain form the people that we are- the largest section over rules the balance of the personality. 
- Cesare Lombrosso (1835-1909)- you can read the likelihood of someone looking criminal by their appearance.
- Physiognomy is the study of facial characteristics- measuring the "intelligence" of a personal by their facial characteristics.
- Nietzsche writes about the "blonde haired, blue eyed beast" and the Nazi ideals.
- Physiognomy attempted to "legitimise" racism- anglo-teutonic (English/Germanic having the most straight slope of the face, apparently therefore most intelligent).

- Hieronymous Bosch (1450-1516), 'Christ carrying the Cross,'- only Jesus and his female follower have human-looking faces- the notion that only Christians are normal, intelligent people- others are portrayed as evil- anti- antisemitism in grotesque imagery. 
- Chris Ofili, 'Holy Virgin Mary', 1996- born and grew up in Manchester, African parents- broke into Fine Arts industry with his origins, painting the Virgin Mary as an African woman with exaggerated facial features- often uses elephant dung in his paintings- the painting was part of the YBA 'Sensation' exhibition (Saatchi). The painting caused uproar in New York when the exhibition toured as people were "disgraced" by this image of Mary- as opposed to the traditional European Italian Renaissance depiction. 


HISTORICAL PHASES OF IDENTITY


- Pre- modern identity- personal identity is stable- defined by long standing roles.
- Modern identity- modern societies begin to offer a wider range of social roles. Possibility to start 'choosing' your identity, rather than simply being born into it. People start to 'worry' about who they are.
- Post-modern identity- accepts a 'fragmented self'. Identity is constructed. 


PRE-MODERN IDENTITY


- Institutions determine identity
- Marriage, The Church, monarchy, Government, the State, Work


SECURE IDENTITIES


- Farm worker, The Soldier, The Factory Worker, The Housewife, The Gentleman, Husband-Wife


MODERN IDENTITY- 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY


- Charles Baudelaire- 'The Painter of Modern Life' (1863)
- Thorstein Veblen- 'Theory of the Leisure Class' (1899)
- Georg Simmel- 'The Metropolis and Mental Life' (1903) [Deals with the establishment of the modern city and the bills that go with it, a note of social anxiety and concern about who you are and where you fit into society].


- Baudelaire- introduces concept of the 'flaneur' (gentleman-stroller)- 'eur' is masculine, male- does not allow for a woman to do this. 'flanuese'- feminist, female variant.
- Veblen- 'Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods is a means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure'.


- Simmel- 'Trickle down theory'- emulation, distinction, the 'mask' of fashion- all the upper classes need to do is stroll around, dressed well, looking good- showing something to aspire to, differentiates them from the rest of society. The theory works on the basis that the upper classes are seen wearing the latest fashions, and the lower classes emulate and copy them- seen today in the catwalk/high street.
'The feeling of isolation is rarely as decisive and intense when one actually finds oneself physically alone, as when one is a stranger without relations, among many physically close persons, at a party, on the train, or in the traffic of a large city.'
- Simmel suggest that: because of the speed of modernity, individuals withdraw into themselves to find peace.


'DISCOURSE ANALYSIS'


- Foucault.
- Identity is constructed out of the discourses culturally available to us.


POSSIBLE DISCOURSES


- Age, class, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, education, income, etc.


DISCOURSES TO BE CONSIDERED


- Class, nationality, [race/ethnicity, gender and sexuality "= otherness"].


CLASS


- The current class system came into being with the industrial revolution, with the emergence of the working class (moving to cities for work, etc). Need to be aware of your own class to be aware of the others around you.
- Within the capitalist system there is the idea of the Bourgeoisie wanting to keep the working class in their place.
- Humphrey Spender/Mass Observation, 'Worktown' project (BOLTON), 1937- produced by the upper- class in London, observing the working class in Bolton (North)- documented with a pre- concieved idea of what these people are like, and their mannerisms- 'Worktown people' collection.
- Martin Parr has similar ideas in his photographic work- a member of the Magnum movement- 'New Brighton, Merseyside, from The Last Resort', 1983-86. The "documents the world as he sees it". One of the accusations made of his work is that it is quite derogatory, looking down on the way that people live their lives.


NATIONALITY


- Parr looks at Nationality... 'Think of...' Think of England, 2000-2003, 'Think of Germany', Berlin, 2002.
- Alexander McQueen 'Highland Rape', collection, A/W 1995-96 -involved slashed chain mail, exposing genitals and breasts- splattered with fake blood (Seen on 'British style genius')- stagger down the catwalk as if drugged. Caused a great deal of controversy, and McQueen's fame came from this- a metaphor of the "rape" of Scotland by England- a (confused?) way of making a statement about national identity.
- Vivienne Westwood, 'Anglomania' collection, A/W 1993-94- links to 'Punk' and English eccentricity of the punk movement. Her fashion is very English- uses a lot of tartan as a "taunt" to Scotland for England's role in 
their Govern.
- LAS VEGAS- The fluid nature of national identity in the contemporary world- Venice, Eygpt, New York, Paris- all rolled into one- different identities forced into once place. Around 70% Americans don't have a passport- perhaps because they can go to Las Vegas for "cultural diversity"- the notion of why you should you go anywhere and see the world around you- the "dumbing down" of society.


RACE/ETHNICITY


- Chris Ofili's work and use of elephant dung- 'No Woman, No Cry'- places his pictures on elephant dung on the floor- again, another link to heritage. Use of Rastafarian colours and identity- linked to Stephen Lawrence case (gang of white teenage youths threw a loop-hole in the law and were not found guilty- two have now gone back on trial and convicted for his murder in more recent times) through cut outs of Stephen Lawrence's face in the woman's tears.
- Ofili interested in comic superheroes and creates character 'Captain Shit'- as the way he perceived that  black superhero would be perceived by a largely white audience.
- Gillian Wearing, Turner Prize winning audience- 'Signs that say what you want them to say and not signs that say what someone else wants you to say'- got people to write on signs what they were feeling about, expressing themselves (1992-93).
- Alexander McQueen- 'It's a jungle out there'- accused of racism, used black models and put them in animal skins and was depicted as a racist comment that "the only link that black people had in fashion was with a very animal aesthetic."
- Titan, 'Saint Mary Magdalene', c. 1532. Designer Emily Bates made , Dress, created using her own (Celtic red) hair- was taunted by the colour of her hair and was inspired by the Titan image of Mary Magdalene was always depicted with red hair/wearing red- she was associated as "the scarlet woman"- promiscuous- connections to red head taunts?

GENDER/SEXUALITY


- Gender is usually about women and their depiction of sexuality.
- In the fashion industry, around the time of the suffragette movement (WWII), women had shorter hair, more independent, working in factories- practical fashion. The industry became the work of men, not women and male homosexuals.
- Flapper look and fashion design, 1925- 'La Garconne' ('The Female Boy'). Androgony developed 
largely at this time.
- Cindy Sherman, 'United Film Stills', 1977-80, "masquerade and the mask of femininity"- emulating the "stock images" and scenarios where women are placed in film stills- links into the lecture about 'The Man's Gaze'.
- YBA female artists include- Sam-Taylor Wood, Sarah Lucas, Tracey Emin.
- Germaine Greer writes about how female artists view women- and why artists photograph themselves in situations (such as Sam-Taylor Wood's portrait)- are they objectify themselves? Or avoiding the accusation of the man's gaze?
- Wonderbra advertisements.


THE POST-MODERN CONDITION


- Liquid modernity and liquid love.
- Inentity is constructed through our social experience.
- Erving Goffman said that the self is a series of facades- counter-identities, etc.
- Zygmunt Bauman says that identity is something to be invented as opposed to being discovered- something you can set out to achieve. 


POST-MODERN IDENTITY


- "I think, therefore I am"- justifying self by your thoughts.
- "I shop, therefore I am"- Barbara Kruger's 20th century post-modern condition for Selfridges, 1987/ (2006 Selfridges)- the idea that you are defined by your purchases. At the time Kruger was accused as being a "sell- out", like a sponsored art show- but perhaps both she and the company are mocking the consumers themselves.

CTS Essay//Draft II.

A quick, second draft of my essay for hand in for next Monday for it's primary assessment- only a few small changes made- largely linguistically or grammatically- a few mistypes in the original draft that I managed proofread and edit within the text- as well as adding my editional (but unusued as direct quotes within the text) sources and now also correctly formatted in terms of line spacing (1.5pt bulk text, 1pt block quotes).

Still afraid that it might be a little bit repetitive- but unfortunately there's not a great deal of time to make changes with a busy Uni schedule- hopefully after feedback from the initial essay hand in I'll be able to make any necessary ammendments or additions with the help of tutor assessment.

***

“How has evolving global and environmental awareness in contemporary society affected sustainable design within the

food industry?”

The last ten years in global society have seen great change, growth, development, and upheaval- be it economically, socially, or psychologically, but- perhaps most evident in these behavioural mannerisms is the new millennium of environmental awareness- a behaviour that has swept across the globe- in what some may perceive to be an necessary, fundamental manner, others perhaps more influenced by guilt from politics and the media. From council campaigns to Nobel Peace Prize winner (and former Presidential candidate) Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, which highlighted and campaigned to bring awareness of the threats of global warming upon our planet. From every day awareness and increased energy efficiency, to actively purchase sustainable or recyclable goods- the past ten years have seen a great shift in the responsibility felt by consumers.

One sector, which has particularly evolved to meet the standards of the decade’s desires for sustainability and environmental needs, is the food industry- both the branding and identity of a company, along with packaging design (which work alongside one another in terms of visual communication)

- “People are increasing concerned about their impact on the environment and the conditions under which the goods that they have purchased have been produced” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 172).

The role of packaging, and graphic designers as visual communicators, has become more important than ever- to establish the brand and identity to appeal not only to those whom become a company’s loyal customers, but also the impulse or needs-based consumer. The role of the designer, and the company themselves, is to deliver a promise of the brand in it’s ethos, it’s personality, and increasingly so, in this past decade, it’s sustainability credentials. In a market of ever-increasing numbers of products with the promise of environmentally- friendly packaging and ethically- sourced goods, brands strive to meet appropriate, on-trend, or in alignment with the current consumer mind-set, and to be the one product on the shelf that stands out as unique- the “need-to-buy” product.

“The successful development of an attractive brand personality can differentiate a product from its competitors, particularly in the highly competitive food sector where brands compete with generic, ‘me-too’ products, own brands and national brands. Brand personalities are developed to help establish a bond of trust with consumers and have the ability to transform a product into something that people develop an emotional relationship towards…” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011,

p. 112).

However organically or naturally we aim to purchase products, packaging is an inevitable addition in supermarkets and chain store food and drink retailers- be in vacuum-packed fruit, or plastic bottles- packaging is a requirement in product distribution for the security and prevention of damage to the product itself. To be truly sustainable, companies would not produce packaging for it’s products, however, as previously mentioned, this is near unavoidable- as well as physical damage, this would also damage the brand in terms of the recognition of it’s identity on a commercial scale in comparison to the other goods in which it competes, for which branding is

a necessity.

Along with the developments in aesthetic design and branding, print considerations are now perceived as a far greater priority with consumers than ever before. “The ethics of packaging concerns both what packaging is made from, and the statements that it makes about the products that we buy” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 190). Many brands now competing in the “sustainable” market actively re-brand or sought materials that are environmentally- friendly, biodegradable, and recyclable- one of the key “buzzwords” of the past decade. The pressured demands of innovation are prominent in contemporary packaging design- ensuring that it serves its purpose as both a protection and communication tool as well as reducing it’s impact (in production and disposal) upon the environment.

“Consumer markets are becoming increasingly aware of the social, environmental, and personal implications of their purchasing decisions. Research carried out by ES Magazine in 2000 shows that a massive 75% of customers claim to favour products with tangible environmental advantages over competitive products” (Chapman, J, 2005, p. 7).

In the hierarchy of waste diagram (featured in the publication ‘Packaging the Brand’, Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p.187) the possibilities for companies and their packaging design is displayed in a triangular diagram from least preferable to the most preferable options in dealing with the waste production of their products: “Disposal- Energy Recovery- Recycling- Reuse- Minimisation- Prevention.” Although the production of packaging may be unavoidable, many companies now strive to prevent over-packaging goods, or, at the most primitive level, to produce packaging which is recyclable- to reuse the energy used to create the design, and to meets the needs of it’s increasingly environmentally- aware market.

“Pollution problems and ecological threats were first recognized during the sixties and seventies were often solved with quick “technological fixes”. Now, a decade or two later, we have realized that many of the solutions only masked and intensified the problems” (Papanek, V, 1985, p. 253).

The development of environmental and sustainable packaging has become particularly apparent in the past decade- perhaps now due to technological advancements of product and packaging design, such as the development of new materials such as the promotion and introduction of the aseptically processed ‘Tetra Pak’ design, in which

“Cartons protect taste and nutritional content with three basic materials that work together to produce very efficient, safe, and light-weight package…paper…polyethylene…aluminum”, (Aseptic Solutions, 2012, http://www.tetrapak.com/us/packaging/aseptic_solutions/pages/default.aspx),

now available to recycle throughout many council borough locations in the United Kingdom, as well as the development of natural dyes used in the printing process- reducing landfill waste, and, therefore, being more “environmentally friendly”- it is the entire process of re-design that increases the sustainability credentials of a company, to work with natural materials to ensure the lowest possible rates of waste pollution and disposal, “sustainability is not about one limited range of thought or interaction. Instead, it is a holistic attempt to mimic the best behaviours or the natural environment” (Boylston, S, 2009, p. 36).

However, it is not only the companies that now face responsibility for the development of sustainability within their packaging design, as well as waste disposal responsibilities. With the increased pressure of environmental awareness, consumers themselves are now being targeted- with advertisements from Government campaigns, and council schemes- “You may be referred to as a consumer, but there is very little that you actually consume- some food, some liquids. Everything else is designed for you to throw away when you’re finished with it” (McDonough, W & Braungart, M, 2000, p.27). Not only do companies within the food industry have the responsibility of their own environmental conscience, but now that of the consumer also- and must develop a way to promote their brand as well as to make it function simply as recyclable product- ensuring that consumers way of life is effected and disturbed as little as possible, whilst still maintaining their manifested feelings of altruistic tendencies.

One company in the food industry that has been particularly prevalent in the past decade is the ‘Innocent’ brand. Founded in 1999, with it’s first year turnover at a modest £200,000, in just eight years the annual turnover grew to £114 million (Innocent drinks : join the family. 2012. innocent drinks : join the family,  http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/AGM/annual_report/).

An undoubted commercial success, Innocent’s popularity has grown in a time of cultural change as well as the development of both health and sustainability awareness- tapping into consumer need and consciousness- not only developing a brand to meet the environmental and sociological changes, but creating an optimistic, refreshing outlook and approach

to business-

"Before I even stepped through the door of Fruit Towers I liked the feel of this company; not from the sweeping success story that the company has evidently been but from all of my communications from 'fellow fruiters' in setting up the interview. In today's rather overly PC professional world, it was lovely to receive; it made me smile, it reminded me I was human and also said, we can be professional but we can also be fun…” (The City Magazine, 2010, innocent drinks : press. http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/press/press_clippings/)

In the case of the Innocent brand, meeting the needs of sustainable awareness within consumers was never enough- and their consequent branding and promotion has led to one of the most successful company start-ups of the past decade- along with their sustainable packaging, they create the notion of a “sustainable lifestyle”, to engage and interact with it’s customers, adapting and utilizing new technologies such as social networking sites- a fantastic tool for self-promotion with customers in a new age of sustainability. This technology has provided them with a means of interactive communication- providing low-cost (and subtle) advertising and promotion for the company, as well as being able to keep costs low in terms of materials (where key information from their online sources may have otherwise of had to have been printed on their product packaging).

In Innocent’s published book ‘A book about Innocent: Our story & some things we’ve learned’ (Germain, D & Reed, R, 2009, p. 166-169) they discuss the brand’s “mission statement” in the form of a five point plan : “… 1. Make it healthy… 2. Use responsible ingredients…3. Develop sustainable packaging… 4. Become a resource- efficient business… 5. Share the profits…”- five distinct points which have helped the brand become as established in the food and drinks industry as it is now more than a decade on from it’s establishment.

The two key elements of Innocent’s sustainability and branding success can be found within it’s two key ambitions, first- to use both ethically sourced packaging materials (as well as their ingredients), and secondly- to actively pursue their ambitions for profit sharing, and charity support.

In regards to it’s use of sustainable and environmentally-friendly packaging materials, the Innocent website states:

“We've done lots to make our packaging better. We've been pioneering the use of food grade recycled plastic in our little bottles since 2003, in 2009 we saved over 300 tonnes of packaging by making things lighter, and all our Kids cartons and our 750ml cartons are now made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified material.” (Innocent drinks: all about us, 2012,

http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/ethics/sustainable_packaging/recycling/)

The company are (currently) actively using recyclable materials within their packaging designs such as Cartonboard, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (High-density polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene) -all of which support their ambitions of a sustainable future in packaging design.

Since their establishment in 1999, the Innocent brand has shown significant evidence that sustainable design is about more than just packaging and recyclable materials, but creating a brand that people “buy into”, that people support, and, in the case of Innocent, a brand in which they can “join the family”- and feel as if they can truly make a difference. Be it on a bold, profound level or a subtle, day-to-day change to an individual’s way of life- it is design in both visual communication and environmental awareness on part of both the company and the Graphic Designer which go towards making a sustainable brand. “Graphic design is a powerful tool because it is crucial in the communication of messages. It has a role in the persuading, educating, and delighting others…design can make you think and smile…” (Roberts, L, 2006, p. 192), and that is perhaps Innocent’s key to success- that “design can make you think and smile”. The company maintain their ethically- sourced approach to their business throughout an association and developed relationship with the Rainforest Alliance certification scheme, which helps to campaign against deforestation and to promote global environmental awareness in ecological support and sustainability, supported by data and statistics such as: “The Rainforest Alliance estimates that 40 hectares (100 acres) of tropical rainforest are lost every minute” (Boylston, S, 2009, p. 31). The scheme covers a great deal of their product ranges (not all fruits used in their products are currently covered by the Rainforest Alliance certification territory), along with the ‘Innocent Foundation’ charity, founded by the company itself, where their fruit is primarily sourced, and to which the a majority of their 10% profit share is donated to help support farmers and suppliers globally with crop growth and land development.

Including the Innocent Foundation, the brand works alongside, the brand has created many other charity events, including ‘Taste Not Waste’  (where fruit is recycled into smoothies at school workshops and similar events), ‘Buy one get one bee’ (where purchasing a special edition lemon, honey and ginger smoothie helps fund the introduction of more bees into the UK), and, most famously, ‘The Big Knit’- a scheme which, once again, promotes itself to actively engage the product’s consumers with charity-based events which help to promote one of the company’s core aims in which they “consider active participation another important facet of maintaining a good relationship with our customers” (Germain, D & Reed, R, 2009, p. 194). To Innocent, developing relationships with its consumers is the first step to sustainability- to promote it’s products, and consequently to help support charities, and the methods of recycling and re-development of it’s packaging design for a more environmentally- committed future.

Most importantly, perhaps, is the tone of voice in which the brand’s sustainability ambitions and awareness is spread- “humour has been used as a learning aid for a very long time and is used in advertising to establish a connection with people” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 118), as is the case with Innocent, in it’s playful, tongue-in-cheek illustrative style of design, it’s use of language, and, of course, it’s charities.

All too often messages of, and campaigns to promote environmental awareness- the affects of deforestation and ecological threats, are presented in a somewhat pessimistic or patronizing manner- a way to evoke the “shock factor” though stark images of the results of global warming in Al Gore’s (previously mentioned) documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, or a “punishment” enforced upon residents by local councils for those unwilling or unable to meet their standards in sustainable living and waste disposal measures, but these effects rarely last- becoming built into the consumer awareness, and, over time, loosing the “shock factor” to become another mundane, repetitive demand or order.

The success or failure of a company is hugely dependent on it’s brand and identity- what it stands for, and the projected vision and goals it’s company maintains- through message and media, promotion, and, of course, it’s endorsement of sustainable packaging and methods of product development.

Throughout the last ten years, an increasing number of products and companies within the food industry have competed within the difficult, over- crowded market with the promise of sustainable packaging and ethically- sourced and produced products. However, this alone is not enough- society has changed, it demands more- companies must work harder to tap into consumer psyche in a positive, productive, and aspiration way- to create an ambition and inspiration for change- to see longevity for not only their brand, and their range of products, but for the longevity of a sustainable future into the research, development and utilization of sustainable materials in both the food and drinks industry, and, most profoundly, within packaging design.

APPENDIX

//PRINTED PUBLICATION

-       Ambrose, A & Harris, P (2011), ‘Packaging the Brand’, Lausanne, AVA Publishing

-       Chapman, J (2005), ‘Emotionally Durable Design’, London/Washington, Earthscan.

-       Papanek, V (1985), ‘Design for the real world’, London, Thames & Hudson.

-       McDonough, W & Braungart, M (2000), ‘Cradle to Cradle’, New York, North Point Press.

-       Boylston, S (2009), ‘Designing Sustainable Packaging’, London, Laurence and King Publishing Ltd.

-       Germain, D & Reed, R (2009), ‘A book about Innocent: Our story & some things we’ve learned’, London, Penguin Books Ltd.

//ONLINE RESOURCES

-       Aseptic Solutions (2012). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.tetrapak.com/us/packaging/aseptic_solutions/pages/default.aspx. [Accessed 15 January 2012].

-       Innocent drinks : join the family. 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/AGM/annual_report/. [Accessed 15 January 2012].

-        Innocent drinks : press. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/press/press_clippings/. [Accessed 15 January 2012].

-       Innocent drinks : all about us. 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/ethics/sustainable_packaging/recycling/. [Accessed 15 January 2012].

//UNUSED SOURCES

-       Reis, D (2010), ‘Production design in the sustainable area’, Germany, Taschen.

-       Siegle, L (2006), ‘Recycle: The Essential Guide’, Canada, Black Dog Publishing.

-       Layard, A, Davoudi, S, & Batty, S (2001), ‘Planning for a sustainable future’, London, Spoon Press.

CTS Essay//Draft I.

The first draft of my CTS pre- dissertation essay, which I will return to and make any neccessary ammendments to over the next couple of days before the essay deadline and hand in on Monday 23rd January.

“How has evolving global and environmental awareness in contemporary society affected sustainable design within the

food industry?”

The last ten years in global society have seen great change, growth, and upheaval- be it economically, socially, or psychologically, but- perhaps most evident in these behavioural mannerisms is the new millennium of environmental awareness- a behavior that has swept across the globe- in what some may perceive to be an necessary, fundamental manner, others perhaps more influenced by guilt from politics and the media. From council campaigns to Nobel Peace Prize winner (and former Presidential candidate) Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, which highlighted and campaigned to bring awareness about the threats of global warming on our planet. From every day awareness and increased energy efficiency, to actively purchase sustainable or recyclable goods- the past ten years have seen a great shift in the responsibility felt by consumers.

One sector, which has particularly evolved to meet the standards of the decade’s desires for sustainability and environmental needs, is the food industry- both the branding and identity of a company, along with packaging design (which work alongside one another in terms of visual communication)

- “People are increasing concerned about their impact on the environment and the conditions under which the goods that they have purchased have been produced” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 172).

The role of packaging, and graphic designers as visual communicators, has become more important than ever- to establish the brand and identity to appeal not only to those whom become a company’s customers, but also the impulse or needs-based consumer. The role of the designer, and the company themselves, is to deliver a promise of the brand in it’s ethos, it’s personality, and increasingly so, in this past decade, as aforementioned, it’s sustainability credentials. In a market of ever-increasing numbers of products with the promise of environmentally- friendly packaging and ethically- sourced goods, brands strive to meet appropriate, on-trend, or current consumer mind-set, and to be the one product on the shelf that stands out as unique, the “need-to-buy” product.

“The successful development of an attractive brand personality can differentiate a product from its competitors, particularly in the highly competitive food sector where brands compete with generic, ‘me-too’ products, own brands and national brands. Brand personalities are developed to help establish a bond of trust with consumers and have the ability to transform a product into something that people develop an emotional relationship towards…” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011,

p. 112).

However organically or naturally we aim to purchase products, packaging is an inevitable addition in supermarkets and chain store food and drink retailers- be in vacuum-packed fruit, or plastic bottles- packaging is a need in product distribution for securing and preventing damage to the product itself. To be truly sustainable companies would not produce packaging for it’s products, however, as previously mentioned, this is near unavoidable- and would also damage the brand’s identity on a commercial scale for the recognition of it’s company amongst the other goods in which it competes, for which branding is a necessity.

Along with the developments in aesthetic design and branding, print considerations are now perceived as a far greater priority with consumers than ever before. “The ethics of packaging concerns both what packaging is made from, and the statements that it makes about the products that we buy” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 190). Many brands now competing in the “sustainable” market now actively re-brand or sought materials that are environmentally- friendly, biodegradable, and recyclable- one of the key “buzzwords” of the past decade. The pressured demands of innovation are prominent in contemporary packaging design- ensuring that it serves its purpose as both a protection and communication tool as well as reducing it’s impact (in production) upon the environment.

“Consumer markets are becoming increasingly aware of the social, environmental, and personal implications of their purchasing decisions. Research carried out by ES Magazine in 2000 shows that a massive 75% of customers claim to favour products with tangible environmental advantages over competitive products” (Chapman, J, 2005, p. 7).

In the hierarchy of waste diagram (featured in the publication ‘Packaging the Brand’, Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p.187) the possibilities for companies and their packaging design is displayed in a triangular diagram from least preferable to the most preferable options in dealing with the waste production of their products: “Disposal- Energy Recovery- Recycling- Reuse- Minimisation- Prevention.” Although the production of packaging may be unavoidable, many companies now strive to prevent over-packaging goods, or, at the most primitive level, to produce packaging which is recyclable- to reuse the energy used to create the design, and to meets the needs of it’s increasingly environmentally- aware market.

“Pollution problems and ecological threats were first recognized during the sixties and seventies were often solved with quick “technological fixes”. Now, a decade or two later, we have realized that many of the solutions only masked and intensified the problems” (Papanek, V, 1985, p. 253).

The development of environmental and sustainable packaging has become particularly evident in the past decade- perhaps now due to technological advancements of product and packaging design, the development of new materials such as the promotion and introduction of the aseptically processed ‘Tetra Pak’ design, in which

“Cartons protect taste and nutritional content with three basic materials that work together to produce very efficient, safe, and light-weight package…paper…polyethylene…aluminum”, (Aseptic Solutions, 2012, http://www.tetrapak.com/us/packaging/aseptic_solutions/pages/default.aspx),

now available to recycle throughout many council borough locations in the United Kingdom, as well as the development of natural dyes used in the printing process- reducing landfill waste, and, therefore, being more “environmentally friendly”- it is the entire process of re-design that increases the sustainability credentials of a company, to work with natural materials to ensure the lowest possible rates of waste pollution and disposal, “sustainability is not about one limited range of thought or interaction. Instead, it is a holistic attempt to mimic the best behaviours or the natural environment” (Boylston, S, 2009, p. 36).

However, it is not only the companies that now face responsibility for the growth and development of sustainability within their packaging and waste disposal responsibilities. With the increased pressure of global and environmental awareness, consumers themselves face responsibilities- advertised from Government campaigns, council schemes, “You may be referred to as a consumer, but there is very little that you actually consume- some food, some liquids. Everything else is designed for you to throw away when you’re finished with it” (McDonough, W & Braungart, M, 2000, p.27). Not only do companies within the food industry have the responsibility of their own environmental conscience, but now that of the consumer also- as a way to promote their brand as well as to make it function easily as recyclable product- ensuring that consumers way of life is effected and disturbed as little as possible, whilst still maintaining their manifested feelings of altruistic tendencies.

One company in the food industry that has been particularly prevalent in the past decade is the ‘Innocent’ brand. Founded in 1999 with it’s first year turnover at a modest £200,000, in just eight years the annual turnover grew to £114 million (Innocent drinks : join the family. 2012. innocent drinks : join the family,  http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/AGM/annual_report/).

An undoubted commercial success, Innocent’s popularity has grown in a time of cultural change and development in both health and sustainability awareness- tapping into consumer need and consciousness- not only developing a brand to meet the environmental and sociological changes, but an optimistic, refreshing outlook and approach to business-

"Before I even stepped through the door of Fruit Towers I liked the feel of this company; not from the sweeping success story that the company has evidently been but from all of my communications from 'fellow fruiters' in setting up the interview. In today's rather overly PC professional world, it was lovely to receive; it made me smile, it reminded me I was human and also said, we can be professional but we can also be fun…” (The City Magazine, 2010, innocent drinks : press. http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/press/press_clippings/)

In the case of the Innocent brand, meeting the needs of sustainable awareness within consumers was never enough- and their consequent branding and promotion has led to one of the most successful company start-ups of the past decade- along with their sustainable packaging, they create the notion of a “sustainable lifestyle”, to engage and interact with it’s customers, adapting and utilizing new technologies such as social networking sites- a fantastic tool for self-promotion with customers in a new age of sustainability. This technology has provided them with a means of interactive communication- providing low-cost (and subtle) advertising and promotion for the company, as well as being able to keep costs low in terms of materials (where key information from their online sources may have otherwise of had to have been printed on their product packaging).

In Innocent’s published book ‘A book about Innocent: Our story & some things we’ve learned’ (Germain, D & Reed, R, 2009, p. 166-169) they discuss the brand’s “mission statement” in the form of a five point plan : “… 1. Make it healthy… 2. Use responsible ingredients…3. Develop sustainable packaging… 4. Become a resource- efficient business… 5. Share the profits…”- five distinct points which have helped the brand become as established in the food and drinks industry as it is now more than a decade on from it’s establishment.

The two key elements of Innocent’s sustainability and branding success can be found within it’s two key ambitions, first- to use both ethically sourced packaging materials (as well as their ingredients), and secondly- to actively pursue their ambitions for profit sharing, and charity support.

In regards to it’s use of sustainable and environmentally-friendly packaging materials, the Innocent website states:

“We've done lots to make our packaging better. We've been pioneering the use of food grade recycled plastic in our little bottles since 2003, in 2009 we saved over 300 tonnes of packaging by making things lighter, and all our Kids cartons and our 750ml cartons are now made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council certified material.” (Innocent drinks: all about us, 2012,

http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/ethics/sustainable_packaging/recycling/)

The company are (currently) actively using recyclable materials within their packaging designs such as Cartonboard, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), HDPE (High-density polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene), etc, all of which support their ambitions of a sustainable future in packaging design.

Since founding the Innocent brand the company has shown significant evidence that sustainable design is about more than just packaging and recyclable materials, but creating a brand that people “buy into”, that people support and, in the case of Innocent, a brand in which they can “join the family”- and feel as if they can truly make a difference, be it on a bold, profound level or a subtle, day-to-day change to an individual’s way of life- it is design in both visual communication and environmental awareness on part of both the company and the Graphic Designer which makes a sustainable brand. “Graphic design is a powerful tool because it is crucial in the communication of messages. It has a role in the persuading, educating, and delighting others…design can make you think and smile…” (Roberts, L, 2006, p. 192), and that is perhaps Innocent’s key to success- that “design can make you think and smile”. The company maintain their ethically- sourced approach to their business throughout an association and developed relationship with the Rainforest Alliance certification scheme, which helps to campaign against deforestation and to promote global environmental awareness in ecological support and sustainability, supported by statistics such as: “The Rainforest Alliance estimates that 40 hectares (100 acres) of tropical rainforest are lost every minute” (Boylston, S, 2009, p. 31). The scheme covers a great deal of their product ranges (not all fruits used in their products are currently covered by the Rainforest Alliance certification territory), along with the ‘Innocent Foundation’ charity, founded by the company itself, where their fruit is primarily sourced, and to which the a majority of their 10% profit share is donated to help support farmers and suppliers globally with crop growth and land development.

Including with the Innocent Foundation, the brand works alongside, and has created many other charity events, including ‘Taste Not Waste’  (where fruit is recycled into smoothies at school workshops and similar events), ‘Buy one get one bee’ (where purchasing a special edition lemon, honey and ginger smoothie helps fund the introduction of more bees into the UK), and, most famously, ‘The Big Knit’- a scheme which, once again, promotes itself to actively engage the product’s consumers with charity-based events which help to promote one of the company’s core aims in which they “consider active participation another important facet of maintaining a good relationship with our customers” (Germain, D & Reed, R, 2009, p. 194).       To Innocent, developing relationships with it’s consumers is the first step to sustainability- to promote it’s products, and consequently to help support charities, and the methods of recycling and re-development of it’s packaging design for a more environmentally- committed future.

Most importantly, perhaps, is the tone of voice in which the brand’s sustainability ambitions and awareness is spread- “humour has been used as a learning aid for a very long time and is used in advertising to establish a connection with people” (Ambrose, A & Harris, P, 2011, p. 118), as is the case with Innocent, in it’s playful, tongue-in-cheek illustrative style of design, it’s use of language, and, of course, it’s charities.

All too often messages of, and campaigns to promote environmental awareness- the affects of deforestation and ecological threats, are presented in a somewhat pessimistic or patronizing manner- a way to evoke the “shock factor” though stark images of the results of global warming in Al Gore’s (previously mentioned) documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, or a “punishment” enforced upon residents by local councils for those unwilling or unable to meet their standards in sustainable living and waste disposal measures, but these effects rarely last- becoming built into the consumer psychology, and, over time, loosing the “shock factor” to become another mundane, repetitive demand or order.

The success or failure of a company is hugely dependent on it’s brand and identity- what it stands for, and the projected vision and goals it’s company maintains- through message and media, promotion, and, of course, it’s endorsement of sustainable packaging and methods of product development.

Throughout the last ten years, an increasing number of products and companies within the food industry have competed within the difficult, over- crowded market with the promise of sustainable packaging and ethically- sourced and produced products. However, this alone is not enough- society has changed, it demands more- companies must work harder to tap into consumer psyche in a positive, productive, and aspiration way- to create an ambition and inspiration for change- to see longevity for not only their brand, and their range of products, but for the longevity of a sustainable future into the research, development and utilization of sustainable materials in both the food and drinks industry, and, most profoundly, within packaging design.

***

APPENDIX

//PRINTED PUBLICATION

-       Ambrose, A & Harris, P (2011), ‘Packaging the Brand’, Lausanne, AVA Publishing

-       Chapman, J (2005), ‘Emotionally Durable Design’, London/Washington, Earthscan.

-       Papanek, V (1985), ‘Design for the real world’, London, Thames & Hudson.

-       McDonough, W & Braungart, M (2000), ‘Cradle to Cradle’, New York, North Point Press.

-       Boylston, S (2009), ‘Designing Sustainable Packaging’, London, Laurence and King Publishing Ltd.

-       Germain, D & Reed, R (2009), ‘A book about Innocent: Our story & some things we’ve learned’, London, Penguin Books Ltd.

//ONLINE RESOURCES

-       Aseptic Solutions (2012). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.tetrapak.com/us/packaging/aseptic_solutions/pages/default.aspx. [Accessed 15 January 2012].

-       Innocent drinks : join the family. 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/AGM/annual_report/. [Accessed 15 January 2012].

-        Innocent drinks : press. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/press/press_clippings/. [Accessed 15 January 2012].

-       Innocent drinks : all about us. 2012. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.innocentdrinks.co.uk/us/ethics/sustainable_packaging/recycling/. [Accessed 15 January 2012].