MET Studio have created a new travelling branded exhibit for the Campaign for Wool, an initiative originally conceived in 2008 by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and launched publically in 2010, in response to the enormous challenges facing the wool industry. The new exhibit launched at Grand Designs Live (winning a 'Grand Designs medallion as one of the ten best stands at the show) and will be used across a number of events in the coming year and beyond.
MET Studio was directly appointed to the project, without a pitch, in February 2011. Responding to a creative brief to move away from traditional notions of trade stands, the design team at MET Studio believed the campaign's messages would be best served by simply spelling out the words 'choose wool' for high impact, using giant-sized letters for the word 'Wool' both for directness and also in order to use the letters as a medium to illustrate wool's flexibility, forms and many varied applications.
"This direct approach was very well received by both the client and visitors to the show," commented MET Studio Design Director Lloyd Hicks. "The tactile nature of the letters proved very attractive with visitors really interacting with them - even sitting unbidden in the letter 'O' for photo opportunities!"
The letter 'W' shows wool in its near-raw state in natural-coloured shagpile. The first 'O' is an earthy, neutral colou, made up of blanket sections overlaid onto one other. The second 'O' is a full-colour patchwork, whilst the 'L' is made up of carpet tuft samples. The rear side of the letters shows a photo-based pastoral scene of sheep grazing, chosen to underline the key messages about wool as a smart material (renewable, waterproof, biodegradable, a natural fire retardant and insulator, breathable, multi-climatic, elastic, easy to care for, natural, safe and sustainable!), whilst reinforcing the key message that sheep farming keeps the UK landscape green and beautiful.