Shameless arrogant self promotion or a genuine heartfelt appeal?
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- ThePublics0
My two cents:
It's disgraceful and pathetic. For both the designer and the consumer. Charity doesn't need a mediating product.
- +1000000autoflavour
- Sad thing is, charity DOES need a mediating product. How else am I supposed to donate effectively?monospaced
- the shirt promotes ONLY the site to donate money, just like the SITE doesmonospaced
- go here, and pick you problem to help
http://american.redc…autoflavour - Ugh! That site is like a t-shirt. It's an advertising machine that takes funding and effort to supportmonospaced
- It's not that I don't get the point being made here, I just don't think it's as bad as you all make it out to bemonospaced
- 60% of all monies collected by the Red Cross goes to the actual victims... Greed is Goodutopian
- autoflavour0
see, this works for me.
doesnt cost money to produce, but yep, they raised a million- for those who don't know what zynga is - isn't this veiled advertising?timeless
- monospaced0
^ aaah, BUT, the product (aka tshirt) is the online gambling. It is a vehicle for their promotion of the charity. Believe it or not, someone was paid (or not) to create all the materials behind it. This is the equivalent of designing the shirt.
I totally understand the points being made that the whole thing is a bit disgraceful, but honestly, it's necessary. The spread of information takes many, many forms, including that of a t-shirt and a website. The vehicle for the promotion is the only major difference here. That's the point I'm trying to make.
- gambling = gamingmonospaced
- "Gamers can contribute by buying designated virtual goods ..."monospaced
- from what i understand, the product already exists and they are just redirecting cashautoflavour
- also do you really expect any of these tshirts/posters to raise 1 million dollars?autoflavour
- randommail0
If I spend $20 on ordering a poster or t-shirt, how much actually makes it to the relief organization? After production costs and shipping costs, and if ALL profits go to charity, maybe $8-10?
FFS, just give the full $20 to the Red Cross.
- but what about my portfoliocannonball1978
- you mean $12timeless
- hellobotto0
To echo monospaced, great debate and thoughtful conversation today.
- yakismaki0
This has been really insightful reading and precisely the debate I wished to kick off. I guess now all we can do is help the many people in need in any way we can with a clear conscience and a pure heart. They're going to need all our support. Thanks for all your wisdom.
- animatedgif0
fucking band-aid what were they thinking? Pretty tasteless.
Who the fuck would want a print about a disaster on their wall? Just donate some fucking money.
- hellobotto0
Lots of plugs for the Red Cross. Charity Navigator has a good list of additional organizations providing relief: http://www.charitynavigator.org/…
...and some other ways to help via One Green Planet: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/an…
- Miesfan0
chinesse bump
- fadein110
we all know the power of brands and its simply trying to visualise the need to help in an interesting/memorable way. I doubt many designers would try to get publicity off the back of something as awful as this... but then again we are humans so who knows.
- in terms of its success - I think no - its very weak.fadein11
- boat0
This response should happen in the months of recovery. Thats when publicity from designers can make a difference.
I think we can take a leaf from the Cubans. With their early solidarity posters. Often not for doing it for monetary gain, but just to remind folks that they haven't forgotten.
- Are you guys aware of any studies that may have been done that could be a blueprint...hellobotto
- ...for maximizing return on design-related initiatives?hellobotto
- maximising returns for who?boat
- For the charities receiving the funds. In other words, reduce the overhead that can...hellobotto
- ...cut deeply into efforts and sometimes act as a deterrent to folks wanting to pitch in.hellobotto
- odds0
shirt/posters raise the point, donations don't
- p.s.odds
- be sure to disagree with hatred and contemptodds
- I agreemonospaced
- < obviously, but not the point of this thread.kingsteven
- which is the intentions of the graphic designers, not the intentions of print media...kingsteven
- ThePublics0
lol. ^
Actually, I would argue that the disaster raises the point, the point being that the victims of the disaster need help.
It's very simple:
I would venture to guess that 99% of those who will donate to the Red Cross/Doctors without borders will have never encountered the poster/t-shirt that bring attention out an already universally exposed disaster, so design objects are just a bonus for those who want a design bonus.
- *brings attention toThePublics
- also, that fucking band-aid... or botto's vector trainwreck don't raise shit.kingsteven
- sorry botto, been trying not to slagkingsteven
- hellobotto0
Kingsteven,
No problem man. I appreciate your honesty. I'll need to remember "vector trainwreck" for my next crit, I tend to favor calling rough vector work an "illy hot mess."I made the thing for myself as a simple avatar as a personal show of support. I'll be the first to admit, it's not a strong apparel graphic. I think it holds up better at 72px and below. I decided to toss it on some shirts and such just in case it tripped someone's trigger or it helped draw their attention to the charitable links I included with the post. My goal is to get funding to folks that need it - even if it's a whisper in a windstorm, it's still making some noise. On a plus side, this lil icon has led to getting some folks at my workplace wanting to get together to come up with local ways to contribute.
You and ThePublics are right, this swag doesn't raise the money, but hopefully they might snag someone's attention who wasn't previously paying attention. Is it disappointing that's what it takes to get some people to open their hearts and wallets? Absolutely. No argument here.
I'd prefer folks donate directly, and have done what I can to make that opinion known, but for those donors that want something tangible, there you go. I understand both sides of the argument; my position is, as long as these artists/designers aren't misrepresenting, misleading, or distracting folks from other worthy causes, then let them be...but still hold them accountable.
Again, solid debate on all sides regarding design ethics and design merit in this thread. I've enjoying reading it as it's unfolded.
- yeah, i remember after hati some discussion by AIGA on creating some sort of outlet.kingsteven
- i mean, i guess my problem is that Fred Perry can manufacture polos for $5 a pop, sell them for $100kingsteven
- and the hati shirts they made 10,000 and sold to an existing market...kingsteven
- also with all the government intensives for charitable donation, you should have rally approached the manufactures with your designkingsteven
- and used your 'brand' to endorse a single charity, otherwise, don't make a productkingsteven
- create a design that will insentience people to donate and distribute that in your network...kingsteven
- I wish there was a better outlet, too. I contribute this way because its what I can afford...hellobotto
- otherwise your just selling karma for less.kingsteven
- ...in time and money. I'm just trying to make a little noise in my corner of the world...hellobotto
- because i don't want to be one of those asses that complain yet does nothing.hellobotto
- *insentience ? incentivise? gawd i cant spellkingsteven
- aye, i think you've proved your intentions are all good man. and i read the other thread were you explained your design.kingsteven
- i just think it needs a bit more thought...kingsteven
- ie. make 9 ways to donate to japan posters/ stickers and distribute them locally...kingsteven
- donate a dollar on behalf of every shopkeeper who takes one...kingsteven
- Doing something similar to that next weekend, when I hand them out...hellobotto
- ...at the Cherry Blossom Fest in D.C. Bringing this personal initiative to a full-circle close.hellobotto
- er - sorry, not next weekend, but the weekend of 4/2.hellobotto
- Miguex0
Let's just put the design aspect aside, like it or not, lets just focus on the action performed by an unknown designer to collect funds.
Maybe whoever is doing this is a nice person and wants nothing other than to provide a means to help, but...
When it comes from an unknown designer, you can't help to think there's that dark side of a person trying to cash into the tragedy just to put their name out there.It's different if the person is already famous, and is using their name to attract hundreds/thousands, etc to donate money (while the intentions might be the same, at least you think, well this person is already known so is not that bad).
It's tough, to be honest if an artist I liked and respect did something like this, I would be buying the product hands down, but there will probably be a selfish reason on my end of "I'm buying that because I like it, the charity thing is just a bonus".
I guess you can't really try to do good things for others without feeling guilty for some sort of selfish reason right?
- from a distance, giving money seems like the only noble optionmrghost
- Known or not, always need to vet someone asking for donations.hellobotto
- Josev0
^ I don't see it as the dark side of a person trying to cash in on tragedy, it comes off to me as slightly clueless. Or maybe that design has lost touch with the world and thinks that these objects are solutions. Someone mentioned raising visibility? Who doesn't know this tragedy is happening. And do the visual solutions we've seen make powerful or touching statements? The red circle? It's hard to make something more visually powerful than the video of a tsunami tearing through a town. Clichés arent going to do it.
I have nothing against posters, I collect them.
- opinions are not facts. note the differencetopic
- hey dude, I get that. I posted my opinion.Josev
- assholeJosev
- I was focusing on the action, anything on the specific design is subjectiveMiguex
- But I see where you are coming from...Miguex
- I do disagree that there's a difference between the "unknown designer" and a well-known designer doing this.Josev
- how can you say the well known designer has better intentionsJosev
- must_dash0
What really needs to happen if someone is to make a poster, is get a good copywriter on the job, as a 'clever' graphic symbol just won't do it. But still better than doing nothing, and not being constructive doesn't help either.
- andreasm0
The sad truth is that most of these posters are terrible from a design point of view, they wont be sold or generate any money, and the only space they will ever populate is an aspiring designer's web portfolio.
This discussion aside, I've written too many posts on it already, isn't it odd to choose the poster format for this type of charitable action? What is the carbon footprint of a poster sent around the globe for charity? The logistics. The means of transportation. Do we really need these artifacts traveling the globe by cars, trucks and planes?
- i havent even considered the shipping costs of all the merch.mrghost
- Miguex0
– Josev6/7
how can you say the well known designer has better intentions"
hahahahaha
no man, I never said that, because that's just silly.
What I said is:"t's different if the person is already famous, and is using their name to attract hundreds/thousands, etc to donate money (while the intentions might be the same, at least you think, well this person is already known so is not that bad)."
Meaning that a famous person (not just a designer, but any recognizable character, singer, actor, paleontologist, pornstar, breakdancer, politician, badminton player, action film star, etc)
Can use their own name, to attract considerable attention and collect lots of money in a short amount of time, I didn't say their intentions are better than the guy doing a poster.From an existential point of you, any action of careless giving could be considered selfish because it brings us joy.
- dibec0
my 2 1/2 cents ...
I find it utterly disrespectful. Degrading a great country, with prints and images of a horrific event. It is not so much the art, but rather the symbolism behind the image. "Japan got fucked, here is a cool image". Did we see 9-11 donation shirts of the towers falling? "Hey America got fucked, wear this around to show your sympathy" Why not show the beauty of the Japanese culture, ie their strength, honor and resilience? ffs. I remember on 9-11 people hanging the American flag off bridges, every bridge and overpass, it was every where. It was the American spirit. It was beautiful. There are a lot of beautiful things going on with Japan yet we have failed to capture that in the graphic community. Instead we have turned the beauty of helping and compassion into a "cool" Japan got fucked image contest.
/end rant