Untold stories of Africa_Emboldened Blankets Campaign
Emboldened Blankets campaign logo.
The Context and Problem
Basotho Blankets are distinctive, woollen tribal blankets traditionally worn by the Sotho tribe of the Lesotho kingdom.These blankets within contemporary society are worn as a fashion trend. People take these blankets at face value and praise their visual uniqueness.These individuals are uneducated to the fact that these blankets are artefacts of value. They are markers of Basotho culture and heritage.This often results in the cultural appropriation of the Basotho culture.
Drawstring bag packaging to package the Basotho blankets in with a close-up of the Khotso blanket.
The Campaign
The specific problem of this project lead to the development of the campaign Emboldened Blankets. It is a campaign initiated by Lesotho Mountain Crafts, a crafts collective near Maseru that provides guidance and training in Lesotho n the areas of product design, practical skills, information technology, sales and marketing. The campaign seeks to pay homage to the true culture wrapped tightly within each of the Basotho blankets.
Handcrafted drawstring bag packaging to package each of the Basotho blankets in.
The Creative Concept
The idea is that the tourists of Lesotho will be unfolding the true untold story of the Basotho blankets. This is the message that Lesotho Mountain Crafts is sending to the (prospective) tourists of the kingdom of Lesotho. The packaging of the blanket as well as the intricately folded informational pamphlet acts as the medium that carries this message to the Basotho blanket lovers when they search for a memento to take home from their time in Lesotho. They will carry with them the true message behind each rite of passage connected to the Basotho blankets.
Front of the pamphlet presented to the tourists as a letter.
Design & Aesthetic
The Emboldened Blankets campaign and its deliverables showcases a colourful, crafted and ethnic aesthetic style. The Lesotho Mountain Crafts initiative often produces crafts and curios that boast the use of colourful and traditional Shweshwe material. This can be seen in the torn collage aesthetic. The inclusion of newspaper elements is due to paper necklaces and accesoriest that are crafted by the initiative. Lastly the illustrations themselves take on a tactile, lino-cut style that echoes the style of the Lesotho Mountain Crafts logo. Lino prints are also a popular medium used by many African artist's to showcase the narratives of their everyday lives and culture.
Back of the pamphlet presented to the tourists as a letter.
The Execution
When a tourist buys a blanket they are first presented with a handcrafted drawstring bag made by the men and women of the Lesotho Mountain Crafts collective. The bag showcases the Emboldened Blankets campaign logo and slogan on it. The drawstring bag is made from fabric and has been made in such a way that it acts as a keepsake of the campaign, is multifunctional and can be used again. Tied to the bag will be two tags. One that explains the type of blanket that one will find inside and one that gives more information about the Lesotho Mountain Crafts initiative.
Back of the pamphlet presented to the tourists as a letter.
Back of the pamphlet presented to the tourists as a letter.
Once the purchaser of the blanket has read the post-card they will read the first inner fold of the pamphlet that will give them more information about the campaign and what it aims to do. Furthermore it will explain that each blanket has cultural significance and meaning attached to it. Each blanket represents a rite of passage in Basotho culture. Depending on whether the blanket that is purchased is meant to be worn by a male or female, a certain pamphlet that illustrates each stage of the chosen rite of passage in a male or females will be showcased.
The first inner fold that gives information about the campaign (left) and the pamphlet being further unfolded to reveal the illustrated rites of passage (right).
Close-ups of the inside of the pamphlet that illustrates the female rites of passage.
The Chosen Narrative
Each blanket represents a milestone in Basotho family life. A rite of passage that must be completed. Men and women experience different rites of passage and receive a blanket connected to each. It essentially creates a timeline of Basotho family life and heritage. I have identified two main rites of passage for both men and women. For females it is when they become a wife and a mother. For males it is when they become a man and a husband, essentially the head of the household. Each rite of passage is presented in phases that one must complete before their status changes and they are presented with the blanket that represents that moment within a Basotho citizen's life.
Lino illustrations depicting the stages in the rite of passage of a women becoming a wife.
Lino illustrations depicting the stages in the rite of passage of a women becoming a mother.
Lino illustrations depicting the stages in the rite of passage of a boy becoming a man.
Lino illustrations depicting the stages in the rite of passage of a man becoming a husband.
The different tags that are attached to the drawstring bag to give information to a tourist.
Lesotho Mountain Crafts log (left), lino illustration of the Khotso blanket (middle) and lino typography of the Khotso blanket name (right).
The different tags that are attached to the drawstring bag to give information to a tourist.
Close-up of the handcrafted drawstring bag that each blanket is packaged in.
