Florian Gonzalez, a fellow member of the o2global sustainable design network, recently posted this statement that I couldn't agree more with:
"Luxury": Who is not sick of hearing the word luxury over and over again, from hamburgers to mass brands?
Everytime you read the word "luxury" (be it in a brand name, brand motto, advertising visual, or in-store like in a famous London dpt store), be sure that the brand tries to prove too much. Real luxury does not have to scream its name. In addition, luxury is by definition exclusive, personal, emotional, irrational and subjective. So who is allowed to state what is officially luxurious? Well, brands who want to fool customers use the word a lot... with a view to giving a "bling bling" touch to their empty marketing and average products/services. Mind the gap.
"Green": The same is already happening with the word "green".
It used to be perceived as a hippie concept, which has reached such a fame nowadays that it has become another buzz word, used by anyone for any purpose. Kitsch you said? Well, I would say that the word is going against the genuine and sincere interests of the actual eco-brands and eco-users... You find the word used for products that are 0% natural (even less organic), for charity campaigns (giving a % of the products sales to charity should not allow to call a product "green"), for fair trade products (treating fairly the local employees is a must but does not account for treating the environment fairly...) and on and on.
This blog is supported by the ethical brand experts, Scamper Brand Strategy
1 comment:
There is a genuine effort made by many companies to instigate cradle to cradle manufacture, distribution and disposal in the design of their product.
By virtue of the fact this till now has taken more time, care and attention to detail, these products have fallen into the "luxury" descriptive, like custom items.
A Tesla Motors roadster is both a green and luxury line... but because it's also on a "mission" the long view result and consequence of the ground breaking they do, in concept, design and technology trickle down. It's not luxury for luxury sake, with no concern as to consequence.
That's the difference really. Green furniture can both fall into the qualified of green and luxury... but luxury items can't say the same. They'd have to re-invent the company top to bottom to produce green luxury goods.
Green is green, stands on its own... ranging the entire gamut of the price spectrum. The important thing is they introduce and maintain sustainability in their overall business strategy.
It's also about look and feel, a certain attitude towards the world, how we function in it... doing more with less... it's more sensual. A lot sexier in fact, as easily demonstrated by the quick rise of the green super models, who by definition, their earth goddess connection, are a lot more desirable to subsconscious male fantasies.
Caution in this instance comes from how educated the customer is about what they are really looking for. If for them "green" is just a buzz word, like "soupe du jour", they'll just come and go... euro trash... but if their heart is truly green, and they feel the Earth below their feet, if they are in themselves becoming united with the Universe they live in... technopolis/ecopolis... it will last... it will integrate into the make-up of life functions in our society... for eternity... if indeed we get that chance... if we don't poison ourselves to death.
Luxury for luxury sake, is a lot like what Marie Antoinette lost her head about... The unconscious idle rich always take the risk of angering the mob, and we're just about there again this time around.
Sweet dreams.
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