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Publisher Focus
and it was exactly what we needed to dive in!” explains Ben. And so, once the deal was sealed (by the company’s licensing manager, Eddie Clarke), Ben submerged himself in the BBC Earth brand’s photographic anthology, a portfolio that includes Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, and beyond, meaning that Museums & Galleries will be able to access exciting new imagery from forthcoming landmark BBC nature programs as the collection progresses. “We wanted to represent that diversity from the off, so there is a mix of familiar faces and new discoveries within the collection. Some images are taken directly from high definition footage - like the unforgettable surfing bottlenose dolphins which opened the TV series - while others are great pictures from BBC Earth’s wider archive of nature photography,” says Ben. Some 18 months of the product development later (which included regular dialogue with the BBC Studios team) Ben and the MGML team came up for air from the ocean of stunning stills, having not only created its beautiful BBC Earth greeting card and stationery collection - which includes BBC Earth II and Blue Planet II branded calendars, bookmarks, notecards and notepads that launched at PG Live to much acclaim - but, reflecting the BBC documentaries’ ethos about the conservation of our planet, MGML had ‘unearthed’ its own environmental-saving
Left: Capturing wildlife wonders on BBC Earth bookmarks from MGML. Below right: A BBC Earth Weekly Planner is part of Museums & Galleries’ stationery collection.
breakthrough with the creation of the ecoBand, an effective way of attaching the card to the envelope (using a folded paper retainer) which supersedes the need for cellowrapping. Museums & Galleries has applied for a patent on its ecoBand, and in addition, the BBC Earth ranges of cards, notecards and envelopes are printed on FSC-certified board and are completely recyclable, and the stationery range effectively minimises any plastic waste (see box story below). “The signing of BBC Earth is significant, not only as the high profile brand and amazing imagery take Museums & Galleries into photographic products, but we have developed the collection in keeping with the ecological ethos of the series,” stresses Debbie Williams, managing director of Museums & Galleries (which also includes Mint Publishing and Real & Exciting Designs). While Ben adds, “The ground breaking spirit of the Blue Planet II and Planet Earth II series has made them a global phenomenon with a vital message, which encouraged us to be innovative with the packaging and production of the range from an environmental perspective too.”
THE BLUE PLANET EFFECT Ben Dorney, Museums & Galleries’ creative director, explains how David Attenborough’s plastic plea in the BBC Blue Planet II documentary series inspired the publisher to reflect the eco message in its BBC Earth card ranges. “Before Blue Planet II aired we were given an insight into the central message of the series. We now know it as ‘the Blue Planet effect’, which has given urgency to the public debate on single-use plastic. It encouraged us to really try and do something different when it came to specifying the range and packaging the cards. We considered various existing alternative or ‘eco’ solutions, but ultimately MGML’s managing directors, Alan and Debbie Williams, tasked us with finding something better. The result was the ecoBand, which uses a small slip of (cleverly) folded paper to hold the card and envelope together without the need for glue. In addition, all the finishing on cards and stationery uses a plastic-free water-based finish on FSC board. The result is that the cards and notecards are zero plastic and fully recyclable, and the stationery range successfully minimises any plastic waste. What's more, it supports the brand's underlying story, so it's both commercially and environmentally sound. That’s Above: MGML’s ecoBand is a slip of cleverly folded paper that holds something to be proud of I think.” the card and envelope together, superseding the need for cellowrap.
With environmental concerns, quite rightly, front of mind, both for the planet and the greeting card industry, ecological changes need to be made for our world and wildlife to survive. Museums & Galleries works with and for a whole range of prestigious brands, organisations and retailers for whom environmental concerns are very relevant. For this reason all of its UK-produced cards and paper-based stationery have been FSC-certified for some time, and its internationally manufactured products are now following suit, imparts Ben. Museums & Galleries are making continual improvements to limit its environmental impact, but the BBC Earth licence offered an opportunity to address an industry-wide challenge which has been gaining momentum - tackling single use plastic cello bags: “Museums & Galleries may be a surprise source for a possible solution to this, but we’re an innovative
brand-led business at heart. This was perfectly suited to the message of BBC Earth but also comes at the right time for the greeting card industry”, Ben states, adding, “The response from retailers to the range and the ecoBand packaging - has been overwhelmingly positive. Retailers completely ‘get it’ it as they too are looking to reduce plastic waste. We hope people will buy into it and make it a viable alternative to bags.” So after his absorption into the heart of BBC Earth’s ‘core’, what has been Ben’s stand-out moment? “My abiding memory from this whole project will be attending the press launch of Blue Planet II before it aired. It included a panel discussion with Sir David Attenborough and producers of the show at which he hinted at the central message in the new series. When asked “what’s the most important environmental issue we should be focusing on in society right now?” his answer was an emphatic: “Plastic”,” recalls Ben, whose remit has extended from conserving artistic heritage to protecting the planet, one card range at a time! PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
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