It took me a good 30 minutes to discover why Moxie Sozo is relevant to the issues we've been discussing in class. However, I think that this is what makes the company so great. After pouring through their site I finally discovered this hidden fact:
"We are also dedicated to ethical business practices and being responsible stewards of the earth. We are the first certified Zero Waste, 100% carbon neutral, 100% renewable-energy powered, design and advertising agency in the world. Is this something we promote? No, we simply believe that it is the little things each of us do as humans that can make a cumulative difference."
In the WORLD! Wikipedia confirmed. Moxie Sozo is famous for its Green Initiatives, and pioneering force in sustainable advertising - or the drive to address the carbon footprint of advertising materials in terms controlling the sourcing of paper, petroleum based inks, solvents, plastics, and adhesives used - even thinking about fossil fuels used during the production and distribution of a product.
This alone could be more than enough, but Moxie is also famous for its Hurricane Poster Project, which challenged designers from all over the world to create limited edition posters that would be sold in order to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Despite our Governments lack of interest in solving this huge catastrophe, it is encouraging to see designers taking a stand in helping to address these problems. Moxie raised more than $50,000 for the American Red Cross, a huge accomplishment.
In looking through their portfolio, initially I thought of this firm as a cute, small 'boutique' studio, with strong formal inclinations. However, once I learned about their green initiatives, I discovered some projects that addressed their belief system:
Wilde & Greene is a start-up business dedicated to providing eco-friendly products.
eConscious Market is an online eco-friendly marketplace that Moxie dedicated their time to producing. A margin of the profits generated from this site are donated to charity.
Because of their vast contributions to sustainable advertising, as well as their charity work, Moxie Sozo is a keen example of how a corporate design studio can hold on to their belief system while still surviving economically. Their "commitment to bettering the world through design" is incredibly applaudable. Other design agencies take note!
1 comment:
pretty cool, huh? maybe i told you that kcai alum charles bloom ('05) works there. he's the tall skinny guy in the studio pics. anyway, nice writing here.
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