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 Box Fresh
Clothes and Culture: A
Response
article
0091 added
15.04.05 words Roger Wade
technical:
QED
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I recently read your article in
ukhh.com about Boxfresh and the Zapatista movement. It was a pity that
before you wrote the article you did not check with either Boxfresh or
Space Hijackers to get an accurate update on the situation. Firstly, we
did use the Marcos imagery as part of a marketing campaign to raise
awareness for the Zapatista movement. One of our ex-designers was
inspired by the Zapatista movement, and read an article in the Guardian
which he quoted the phrase “we are you”. Coincidentally we were using
the “ we are you “ at the same time. I read the article and found the
speech inspiring and we decided to raise awareness and money for the
Zapatista cause by running a guerrilla advertising campaign using
Diabolical Liberties. We also sold t-shirts featuring the same picture
of Marcos in our shop, and poster including the full “we are you” speech
f rom Marcos, and donated all the profits to Chiapas in southern Mexico.
Space Hijackers saw the campaign and mistakenly thought that we were
using the imagery solely as a money making campaign. We met with Space
Hijackers show them proof of our donations, and we agreed to include
additional leaflets about the Zapatista movement, and they were happy
that our intentions were honourable.
Regarding Diabolical Liberties, most of the companies that feature in
ukhh.com either use Diabolical Liberties to market their records or are
involved directly in guerrilla marketing campaigns like Kung Fu.
Boxfresh is at forefront of supporting young british hip hop talent. We
have worked and actively supported people like Kung Fu, Extended
Players, Rodney P, Roots Manuva, Mitchell Brothers, The Streets, etc. I
don’t mind if you don’t like our clothes or marketing and you want to
write about it, but please in future research your topics more
accurately before writing misleading articles. It is really
disappointing because Boxfresh is truly one of the companies that want
to support British Youth culture, and sites like ukhh.com. Could I
suggest that in future you save your crusades for big American
multinational brands like Nike!
The internet allows freedom of expression, but it also allow people to
make false accusations and hide their identity. In this case, we were
wrongly accused of exploiting the Zapatista movement, we did exactly the
reverse we actually promoted the movement, and gave them full credit and
all the profits (before Space Hijackers accusations). In terms of UKHH,
Boxfresh actively sponsors and finances lots of underground British Hip
Hop, and it is easy for armchair critics who contribute nothing to have
a pop at us. The journalist never mentioned that Boxfresh other brand
Triple Five Soul are the largest financial sponsorship of Kung Fu, which
helps pay for the club. Boxfresh also paid for and produced the 1st ever
Kung Fu Cd which we gave away for free.
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Roger Wade
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