Anti-Bullying Love is Louder

The Anti-Jock thing got me thinking more about bullying in schools and bullying specifically to do with sexual orientation.

This Love is Louder campaign caught my attention because of the creative use of typography. This way anyone can show their support. A celebrity photographer Tyler Sheilds has got all these awesome images for the campaign. http://www.tylershields.com/2010/10/14/love-is-louder/

The basic campaign:

"Love is Louder was started by actress Brittany Snow, The Jed Foundation and MTV to build on the outpouring of support online after the lives of multiple teenagers were lost to suicide in September 2010. This movement strives to amplify the momentum of other inspiring online campaigns and invite anyone who has felt mistreated, misunderstood or isolated into the conversation. We are here to raise the volume around a critical message -- that love and support is more powerful than the external and internal voices that bring us down, cause us pain and make us feel hopeless.

The more voices that join the movement, the louder the message becomes. #LoveisLouder."

 http://www.loveislouder.com/about.html

I found the writing on the bodies a fun refreshing way to experiment with typography.

Anti-Jock movement

This movement got my attention... in fact I found it quite humorous. I totally get why this movement started. Wikipedia has a great explanation:

The anti-jock movement is a loosely organized cyber-movement consisting of similarly themed websites, whose goal is to challenge the perceived cultural dominance of institutionalized competitive sports and to raise issues of the perceived detrimental effects of such a dominance. In this regard, the term "jock" is used in its the sense of "stereotypical athlete," although websites constituent of the Anti-jock Movement often use the term to distinguish negative or excessive interest in sports, from common or positive athletic endeavor. In the decade following the year 2000, increasing recognition has been given to the existence of a movement consisting of "a group of self‐described marginalized youth [who] constructed and sustained anti‐jock websites, where they articulated 'dissatisfaction with and anger toward institutions that uncritically adulate hyper‐masculine/high contact sport culture and the athletes who are part of this culture (i.e., the ‘jocks’)'” ^[1] Such has been cited as an act of resistance against the dominant media and cultural paradigm.^[1]

 

http://www.sportssuck.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1093

^{After looking at a few of the websites wikipedia suggested I was not impressed at all with the design aspect.. how do they expect to get a good following? It just looks like somewhere teenage boys go to get out all there frustrations. I would aim to change this If I were to represent this movement. The look would be professional and the content would be pro active for the cause!} 

^{For this movement there is a lot of fonts available to me and imagery that is related to a stereo typical high school scene. I think I’d be more interested in focusing in on the dominance, bullying and peer pressure side of things. http://sports.glsen.org/  is a website that I found that is actually fighting for equality in the PE sector which is a whole lot more productive than putting it down altogether. Physical activity is important for everyone!}

Brainstorm how I can creatively use “a series of cards” to portray a theme.

How would you intend the cards to be used?

They would be pieces of design work that people would want to keep or display.

Target Market

This depend obviously on which movement I end up going with but just say I was going with Temperance, the anti alcohol movement, my audience could be a variety of people: heavy drinkers, sellers of alcoholic products, politicians who put laws in place around the buying and selling of alcoholic beverages.

Would they be created as a package  or "sold separately"?

A package is definitely more interesting to me. I think I would rather own a collection of works rather than just one. The same goes for fashion labels, art work etc.

Would they be released all at once?

I think the anticipation of releasing something one by one would keep my audience more involved and interested in the subject.

What are some interesting ways to distribute the cards?

You could get the postcard after purchasing a certain product
Comes with free bees (everyone love free bees)
Handed out at an event eg. Temperance could be appropriate for the Rugby World cup yet it wouldn't have a warm welcome.
Treasure Hunt
Placed in unsuspecting places

Should they be collectable?

Yes! Something that people want to keep! Need to have enticing packaging also, so they can be protected together as a collection.

People like collecting things.

Is there a reason to have the cards in a set? or an incentive?

Could be put together to form a puzzle or a bigger picture
Creates a bigger message
Might have a different character on each one that need to be together as a set.

How could my card tell a story or several stories?

Convey a different message or story on each card all relevant to the movement
Follow one characters story
Make a comic or comic style
Cover a time period in each card, work like a timeline

What organisations might want to work with me on this project?

Research into the "doers" of the campaigns and see what they are doing for the course and how I can assist.

Research "Political movement" and "Social Movement"

Social and Political Movements

Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals and/or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change. (wikipedia)

Here are just a few examples that appealed to me

-Feminism

-Human Rights

-Fair Trade

-Free Love

-Animal Rights

-Anti-Jock Movement

-Anti-Consumerism

-Environmental Movement

-Suffrage

-Conservation

-Disability Rights

-Anti-Violence (it’s not ok)

-LGBT

-Anti-Nuke

-Smokefree

-Temperance Movement (reduce use of alcohol)

-Peace

-Biculturalism, gender and critical social movements

Project two starts. What are the requirements?

Create a Series of Cards Portraying a Social or Political Movement

Research a social or political movement, focusing on the typographic elements

You are required to produce a series of six postcards. Your series must focus on a development, change, or passage of time related to your theme. Think about what the end purpose and audience of your cards is likely to be.

Guidelines
- 6 postcards
- Focus on the typography of your chosen theme
- Remember the main purpose of a postcard is to send it in the mail (think about size, space for a stamp, message space etc)
- Full colour front, single colour reverse
- Must function as a cohesive collection and as individual units
- Present cards in a manner that protects, displays, and allows the reverse of the cards to be viewed.

Your process and working must be documented in a visual diary/blog

All work is expected to be to a professional standard, with print ready files and high quality prototypes. Think about how you will present your work.

Due: 23/11/11 (Wednesday) You will have 5 minutes allocated to present your work. Submit the series of cards, final digital artwork files, visual diary/blog.

Plan of action: to do before next weeks class
-Research
-Brainstorm
-Project Management