Introduction
Environmental Action through Music and Community
A collaboration between Mastercard and R&B artist SZA marked a seminal moment where the restoration of global forests was set to the rhythm of music and the pulse of community spirit. Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition was brought to the spotlight during SZA's performance on the 2024 GRAMMYs, weaving environmental advocacy into every aspect of the event. The stage was integrated with a range of scenic natural elements and even SZA's outfit depicted a piece of nature, intricately laced with tiny seeds, all to support:
Seeding the Change We Want to See in the World
Beyond the aesthetics of an earth-inspired GRAMMY performance, the partnership between SZA and Mastercard further engaged the public by distributing the seeds from SZA’s outfit to kindle a movement of eco-consciousness among fans. Performance seeding kits containing these seeds were sent to fans, farmers, and Instagram sweepstakes winners as a message to inspire and invite the audience to participate directly in the greening of our world.
Our contribution at BluEdge was to materialize this vision, crafting the seeding kits that would not only symbolize but actively contribute to Priceless Planet Coalition’s mission of restoring 100 million trees around the world. These kits, featured across social and broadcast media, were tangible manifestations of the shared goal between SZA and Mastercard to amplify the message and mission of environmental restoration.
1: SZA's performance outfit for the 2024 GRAMMYs presented by Mastercard, 2: Seeding Kit's contents:
Photo courtesy of Mastercard
Seeding Kits spotlighted on the Drew Barrymore Show:
Project Goal
Our role was to conceptualize, engineer, and produce 100 seeding kits then distribute them to the designated individuals. Incorporating a tangible product into the mix bridged the gap between digital advocacy and active participation by allowing individuals to engage with the campaign beyond the screen. By distributing these kits through various channels, the initiative not only spread awareness but also gave individuals the opportunity to plant a tree of their own, an approach that encouraged them to participate in a proactive manner and inspire further action to support the campaign’s greening objectives.
Scope of Work
Our engagement with the project extended from initial discussions of the client's vision to the final touches of production. Following the green initiative, each seeding kit was created out of 100% sustainable materials.
Deliverables included 100 Seeding Kits, each containing:
• A glass vial with 5 American Hornbeam seeds
• A card featuring a message from Mastercard and planting guide
• An oak wood frame showcasing a signed photo of SZA
• A ceramic planter
• A metal stake
• Planting Soil
• Decorative moss sheets
Our Process
1. Ideation
Our Comps & Packaging Realization Team began with the client's initial vision of a seeding kit. The idea was to create a kit that resonated with the campaign's mission and drawing inspiration from the same green, earthy, natural elements of SZA's set at the GRAMMYs. In a collaborative effort, we further refined the vision and chose preserved moss as the main theme of the kit. We then evaluated different sustainable material options and conceptualized the kit's outer box with a focus on the shape, dimensions, and scale of the inner components.
2. Engineering
With the ideas narrowed down, we tested the dimensions and materials of the outer shell through several rounds of prototyping to balance the kits' resilience and visual appeal without compromising on sustainability. This iterative process continued until we achieved a final design that met both the eco-standards and client specifications, all within the established timeline.
3. Production
With the die lines of the approved design, we used water-based inks to print each of the components necessary for the construction of the boxes, then meticulously constructed the base and cover of each box. Moss sheets were hand-crafted from sustainably sourced preserved reindeer moss affixed to cardboard using water-based glue.
4. Assembly
Starting with the foundational moss sheet placed at the bottom of the box, we carefully arranged the planter, soil disc, stake, and vial of seeds, ensuring each item was placed exactly in its designated spot. On top of the green bed lay the framed photo of SZA along with the planting guide. The box was then finished off with a second layer of moss, visible through the cover's circular opening, offering a glimpse into the kit's natural essence. Lastly, the completed kits were packaged and shipped to the designated individuals.
Challenges
Navigating Sustainable Material Sourcing
This project posed a unique challenge that put sustainability at the core of our creative process. The biggest hurdle was the selection of materials that were 100% recyclable or biodegradable. These materials are not only limited in variety compared to their less sustainable alternatives, but they also tend to come with a higher cost, and in this case, also presented more difficulty in handling and durability. This required extensive research and evaluation of potential eco-friendly options, then balancing the budget with the need for materials capable of yielding a product that was both sturdy and enduring.
Achieving Durability Through Design
Designing a box that was not only aesthetically pleasing but also protects the fragile contents inside, such as the glass vial containing the seeds, the ceramic planter, and photo frame (made partially from glass), was another challenge. We analyzed the dimensions and weight of the contents to ensure that our choice of cardboard stock along with other production materials, could maintain the box's structural integrity. Through numerous iterations and testing, we were able to find the optimal balance that met these standards.
Crafting Visual Impact
The element with the largest visual impact was the preserved reindeer moss, and crafting the moss sheets was another labor-intensive aspect of the project. Constructed by hand, every piece of moss was manually attached to a corresponding base layer and proved to be more tedious and time-consuming than initially anticipated. Despite this, we found that it was ultimately the best approach to guarantee that every step of the production process used 100% eco-friendly materials while maintaining full control of the overall quality and presentation.
Seeding Kits on the Drew Barrymore Show
Drew Barrymore presented the seeding kits as a gift to the guest speaker, Cheyenne Sundance, a 26-year-old farmer, dedicated environmentalist, and SZA fan. She was recognized for her contributions to agriculture and environmentalism and served as an inspiration for others to seek environmental change.
SZA’s 2024 GRAMMY Performance
In the 2024 Grammy Awards, SZA led with the debut performance of her new song, “Saturn” from her upcoming album, LANA. In the clip below, you can watch the set and see the creative incorporation of various natural elements, taking the form of an underground oasis and gradually evolving into a lush green forest glade, while SZA’s performance dress was made of similar earthy elements, including the tree seeds that were later shared through the kits.
“Through our GRAMMY Awards campaign, we’ve created an opportunity for our brand, our partners and consumers to come together over shared values, to participate during a moment when we can celebrate our passion for music and our commitment to make meaningful investments to preserve the environment. SZA has a personal passion for sustainability – not just in forest restoration but in the clothes she wears and the platforms and partners she aligns herself with. It was important to us to partner with someone who is not only showing up big at the GRAMMY Awards – as the most GRAMMY-nominated artist this year – but also showing up big for the environment,”
- Rustom Dastoor, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, North America at Mastercard.
SZA's Performance of her new song "Saturn" at the 2024 GRAMMYs:
BTS look at the creation of SZA's performance dress:
Final Thoughts
At BluEdge, we're humbled to have contributed to such a significant project. It extends well beyond the norms of a typical project, pushing us to explore and embed new environmentally sustainable practices into our work and furthering our commitment to a greener future. Our journey of navigating this project using entirely eco-friendly resources allowed us to embrace a new set of design challenges and further innovate our methods and craftsmanship to meet these standards.
Our Team is fully committed to reducing our environmental footprint. We strive to minimize material consumption and waste production by continually seeking out more sustainable practices. This project showcased our team’s ability to innovate within the realms of eco-friendly production and it reflects our continuous effort to not only put into practice, but also to inspire other businesses to stretch the limits and support the progressive adoption of more eco-friendly practices for the betterment of our planet. This is a movement we are proud to be a part of and we strive to continue seeding the change we want to see in the world.
To learn more about the Priceless Planet Coalition or how you could get involved in forest restoration, visit mastercard.com/forceofnature.
