“Driving Your Green Story Home” demonstrates the use of storytelling in developing a brand’s green story

Subaru of Indiana and four other popular brands share their journey in creating and sharing their green stories

To represent five best practices in responsible, green storytelling, Appleton Coated’s “Driving Your Green Story Home” shares the story of Subaru of Indiana — a facility that became the first auto manufacturer to achieve zero landfill status, among other environmental firsts. Additional examples of corporate sustainability stories are included as single-sheet case studies. A detailed printing summary helps guide others who want to make a visual impact, while lessening their environmental impact.

“With so much hype around the greening of business, there exists a practical need to help organizations understand how to communicate their environmental intentions,” observes Phil Cavalier, vice president of marketing at Appleton Coated. “We saw this need and responded with a brochure that aspires to educate and motivate others to tell their own green story.”

Los Angeles-based automotive photographer Vic Huber enhances the written stories with original images shot on-location at Subaru of Indiana (SIA). Also an avid nature photographer, Huber’s images from the Subaru plant and their manufacturing operations are gently juxtaposed with images of plants and their natural environment.

Bill Thorburn, of The Thorburn Group (Minneapolis), brought the duality of these elements together in a visually compelling, easy-to-read format. “When we first heard Subaru’s green story, it had never been told,” Thorburn recalls. “Here were two industries — automotive and paper — on the cutting edge of environmental thinking. No other premium coated paper demonstrates this kind of green leadership. No other car manufacturer has made such an effort in this arena. It’s utterly amazing that SIA generates less annual landfill waste than an average home. It’s this passion to make a difference that brought the two companies together to tell their story.”

Thorburn continues, “We want to help people find their own voice and to share their good intentions. There’s no reason to be intimidated. We all want to be better educated, become better business partners, and make responsible decisions.”

When “Driving Your Green Story Home” was previewed with Subaru’s executives, everyone was thrilled with the response. “They were blown away at how elevated, simple, and clear their message came through,” says Thorburn. “Vic’s photography and the printing techniques we used added a dimensional quality that brought the whole piece to life.”

Beyond demonstrating award-winning work and success stories, a secondary intention for “Driving Your Green Story Home” was announcing that Utopia One X (U1X) was now U1X:Green. This Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified product is manufactured with 20% post-consumer recovered fiber and electricity in the form of renewable energy.

Working with Appleton Coated and Subaru, Huber says he learned more than expected and has implemented several green practices into his own photography business. “SIA sets a standard of excellence that all of us should do our best to match. This project is exactly the kind of work I wish I could be involved with every day.”

He adds, “Often my artistic intentions as a photographer lose something in the translation to four-color printing. Utopia showcased my photography as if it were being presented in a gallery setting.”

“High-end brands rely on the power of print and U1X:Green to capture consumers’ attention, differentiate in overcrowded market spaces, and bring their products, services, and environmental messages to life,” notes Cavalier. “It’s extra-bright, extra-blue white shade are perfect for creating print that drives response projects representing jewelry, cars, home furnishings, fashion, travel and other imagery that call for extra print “pop.”

Available in gloss, silk, and matte finishes and up to 120 lb. cover, U1X:Green is available in traditional folio sizes, digital making, and web applications. The Utopia Express Custom Size Sheet Program allows U1X:Green customers to save time, money, and resources with ‘two-days to ship’ service on custom-size sheets.

To request a copy of “Driving Your Green Story Home,” or for more information about U1X:Green, visit www.utopiapaper.com or call 888-488-6742.

Key Credits
Title: “Driving Your Green Story Home”
Company: Appleton Coated
Paper: U1X:Green
Design Director: Bill Thorburn
Photographer: Vic Huber
Printing: The Hennegan Company
Featured Success Stories: Subaru of Indiana, Vosges Haut-Chocolat, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Grand Valley State University, and Scholastic

Appleton Coated offers the most comprehensive lineup of premium coated papers available today marketed under the Utopia brand. From the elegance of Premium to hardworking Utopia Three, the Utopia family of coated papers offers six ways to ignite a passion for paper and the environment. Appleton Coated is headquartered in Kimberly, Wisconsin.
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Filed under: Appleton Coated, CLIENT NEWS, Green Goals, Type-Paper-Print