Uneeka Launch Exclusive Bag Range
As part of the ongoing project from 2008’s Two Weeks, One World campaign, Uneeka are officially launching its own jute shopping bag range. With exclusive designs from University College Falmouth’s 2nd year BA Graphic Design students. To celebrate the start of this years Fairtrade Fortnight 23rd Feb - 8th March the bags are finally going on sale to the public with an official in-store launch exhibition.
The Story in Full
Concept
In November 2007 Uneeka approached University College Falmouth's 2nd Year Graphic Design degree course with an opportunity to design an exclusive range of jute shopping bags.
As part of a larger project on globalisation the students were asked to look closely at the Uneeka brand in relation to its fair trade principles. Our project required them to investigate and explore the ideas and debates surrounding fair trade and the ecological and social impact of different forms of production.
Design
One of the key design outcomes from the project was an opportunity for the students to develop their own jute bag design, based on the strategic thinking and design processes that the students had already developed from the main project. The brief was left as open as possible to allow the students total creative freedom. The designs could therefore carry a slogan or statement, an image or picture, an object or symbol.
To coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight 2008, Uneeka held an exhibition of all the students' artwork at its Lemon Street Market store for the duration of the fortnight. Customers were invited to come along and vote for their favourite design, automatically entering them into a prize draw with the chance to win a gift voucher worth £100 to spend in-store.
The students whose artwork proved most popular at the end of the two weeks won the chance to see their bag designs put into production and sold exclusively at Uneeka stores and online at www.uneeka.com.
Production
To support the careful approach to the design and message behind the bags, Uneeka wanted to work closely with an organisation that held ethical and environmental concerns at the heart of its operations. UK based company Jutexpo seemed like the natural choice.
As the UK's leading supplier of jute bags, Jutexpo is a company dedicated to the development of products and services that further the creation of an ecologically sustainable future.
Jutexpo products are all manufactured in West Bengal, India. With 5000 employees working at the factory it is regularly independently audited and adheres to strict international fair trading regulations. Unfortnuately Fairtrade Standards do not currently exist for jute, however, it is something that both Jutexpo and the Faitrade Foundation are working towards.
The Uneeka bag range consists of four bags: three designs on normal jute material and a premium bag produced on Juco (a new and exciting material technology combining the strength and natural properties of jute with the finishing and texture of cotton fabric).
Launch
After a year of careful development and production, the successful designs chosen from 2008's Fairtrade Fortnight exhibition are now finally ready to be launched to the public.
As part of Uneeka's support to this year's Fairtrade Fortnight 23 February - 8 March 2009 the exclusive bags will go on sale on the first day of the fortnight. They will be sold at Uneeka stores in Truro and Padstow as well as online at www.uneeka.com.
The bag designs have all been chosen for their innovative and creative approach to spreading the important messages surrounding fair trade. And the best bit is the bag journey doesn't stop there - 10% of every bag sale is going directly to the Fairtrade Foundation to help support other awareness raising projects and the development of new products.
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