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Design is a small planet, often self-referential, with well-worn paths for
exposition, criticism and analysis. When we contemplated devoting an
issue to self-promotion, we were acutely aware of certain tropes. The
usual way of portraying self-promotion by designers would be to focus
on the projects they use to market themselves and their firms—the
postcards, the tchotchkes, the e-newsletters, etc. But we decided right
away this issue would not be about that stuff.
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This year's winning direct mail. March/April 2008
DESIGN 100: DIRECT MAIL
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35 KINETIK
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is, in KINETIK designer
Sam Shelton’s words, “part think tank and part activist group.” EWG
works to expose threats to public health and the environment, and to find
solutions. Distributed to policy makers and organizations, this direct mail
piece is part of the group’s efforts to publicize the presence of dangerous
and/or untested chemicals in the bloodstreams of those we hold dearest.
Explaining why the piece has such impact, Shelton says, “It’s
that punch line.” He’s referring to how the piece’s six-panel format
carries the text, which in turn determines the manner in
which readers find out who the “10 Americans” are that have
the 287 chemicals in their blood. “The text asks who they are,
and when you open the next panel, you find out. The fact that
these 10 individuals are newborns is what’s shocking, and that
they didn’t get the chemicals in their blood the usual ways, but in
utero. The shock value delivers the message.” If the words aren’t
clear enough, he notes, the fetus image drives the point home.
“Although it could be considered a cliché, there’s no better way to
explain where these chemicals come from.” by Tom Biederbeck
KINETIK | Designers: Beth Clawson, Jeff Fabian, Beverley Hunter, Jackie Ratsch, Scott Rier, Sam Shelton, Jenny Skillman, Don Whelan | Client: Environmental Working Group | Contact: www.kinetikcom.com |
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WEB-EXCLUSIVE CONTENT!
