Challenge

TBWA \ Hong Kong invited us to collaborate on finding a solution to waste generated by the advertising industry, primarily vinyl banners. We were to turn this waste into cool elegant products to be sold for the benefit of Room 13, a charity that provides underprivileged children with art education.

• Design a product line using waste vinyl
• Profits from product line to benefit art education charity
• Devise a brand a launch strategy for these products

Solution

In conceiving of \SLASH we took into account that the two end goals of using scrap materials and benefitting an arts education charity. We created wallets, card holders and other accessories using the blank underside of the banners rather than the colourful printed side, this created a blank canvas to be drawn and doodled on by the user. This blank canvas concept seemed particularly relevant to TBWA as a creative advertising agency working to aid a charity promoting the arts.

• Create simple but useful products that can be drawn on to reflect the charity being supported
• Formulate a launch plan where local artists are invited to create art on vinyl banners
• Art work to be turned into special editions of the products and auctioned

Outcome

Handsome worked with TBWA\ Hong Kong’s creative team to develop branding around the product and designed the promotional campaign surrounding Slash which was eventually pushed forward thanks to the support of Swire.