1 June 2024
Unite with a Smile: Embrace Optimism, Joy, and Action for the UN Global Goals with BOTTLETOP x SMILEY® #TOGETHERBAND
#TOGETHERBAND AND SMILEY® LAUNCH SPECIAL EDITION BANDS TO CELEBRATE RADICAL OPTIMISM, JOY AND COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR THE UN GLOBAL GOALS
June 2024 – In celebration of London Climate Week, #TOGETHERBAND are thrilled to announce their curated special edition #TOGETHERBANDs in collaboration with Smiley®. The partnership symbolises radical optimism and collective action in tackling the world’s greatest challenges and creating a positive impact with the Smiley® Future Positive collection.
From the climate emergency and loss of biodiversity to the ongoing pursuit of gender equality and the conflicts affecting communities worldwide, #TOGETHERBAND is committed to driving the message for a healthier planet. We align ourselves with the values set out by the UN Goals and embed them into every part of our process, values, thinking, development, and efforts to make a positive change for the future.
The UN’s 17 SDGs for a healthier planet are increasingly being pushed further from our collective reach. In times of crisis, it’s essential to embrace both urgency and optimism – a necessary first step to imagining new narratives for our environment. The most radical and rebellious choice we can make is to be optimistic.
The #TOGETHERBAND x SMILEY® ORIGINALS is a powerful symbol of positivity, hope and optimism in the face of these challenges. In a time of growing climate anxiety, depression and mental health issues, we must nurture ourselves, one another and the world around us as we continue the fight for a healthy future. These bands are a personal reminder to be kind and loving towards ourselves and an invitation to be present in the innate beauty and wonder of the world. Fundamentally, they are an invitation to smile.
#TOGETHERBAND engineers positively impact end-to-end. The bands themselves are made by women rescued from human trafficking in Kathmandu, Nepal, creating skills and livelihoods for the community. They are made using 100% recycled and upcycled materials. The rope is made using Parley Ocean Plastic®, created from upcycled plastic waste intercepted by Parley from remote islands, shorelines, waters, and coastal communities.
100% of proceeds from sales of the #TOGETHERBAND x SMILEY® ORIGINALS will be donated to beneficiaries furthering the UN Goals in a positive way:
#TOGETHERBAND plants a tree, donates three meals through the #TOGETHERMEALS program to families in Nepal and Brazil and reclaims one kilo of plastic from the ocean. Additional proceeds support NGOs working to advance the UN Goals on the ground.
Pricing and Availability
The UN Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all 193 members of the United Nations in September 2015. Unlike previous UN goals, the SDGs are universal and apply to all countries equally. These 17 Goals are a roadmap to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Global Goals Week is a shared commitment between partners across all industries to bring together communities, demand urgency, and accelerate action on the Goals during the UN General Assembly High-level Week.
#TOGETHERBAND’s invitation to the people of the world has remained the same since the launch on Earth Day 2019: Choose your Goal, and let’s take collective action and tackle the Goals #TOGETHER!
‘To feel joy, to feel loved, to feel excitement, to feel happiness, and compassion – those are emotions that we can cultivate. Sometimes people think anger is a great motivator to get things done, but I think compassion is much stronger. The people who have the most powerful voices are the ones who are not demonising the enemy but are actually creating understanding and communication.’ – Gelong Thubten, Goal 3 #TOGETHERBAND Ambassador.
‘We can find hope for the future through the beauty and joy of the natural world, through community resilience, avoiding climate doom, and staying hopeful while fighting for a better future.’ – Domi Palmer, Climate Activist and Goal 13: Climate Action #TOGETHERBAND Ambassador.
‘At Smiley®, we believe in the transformative power of joy and optimism. Our collaboration with #TOGETHERBAND is a celebration of these values and a call to action for a better future. By wearing these bands, you’re not only supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals but also embracing a symbol of positivity and hope in challenging times.’ – Janet Martin, Chief Product Officer – Lifestyle Consumer Products, The Smiley® Company.
About #TOGETHERBAND:
BOTTLETOP launched the #TOGETHERBAND Campaign on Earth Day 2019 in partnership with the UN Foundation, using creativity and culture to raise public awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and inspire action to achieve them.
The connective tissue for the campaign are its iconic bands, which are made from waste materials, including reclaimed Parley Ocean Plastic®, Humanium decommissioned firearm metal, and food waste (açai seeds). Every #TOGETHERBAND is handcrafted by artisans in Nepal and the Amazon, creating skills and livelihoods for local women and communities.
Now an active global community of over 500,000 citizens with over 1000 Ambassadors from across the geographical and cultural spectrum ranging from David Beckham, Ban Ki-Moon, and Indigenous activist Txai Suruí to Naomi Campbell, Elijah McKenzie Jackson, Halima Aden, Mary Robinson, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Lewis Hamilton; all sharing their personal stories about why their chosen SDG matters. #TOGETHER combines storytelling with large-scale public art and culture activations with strategic partnerships to drive global awareness and action supporting the SDGs.
During the pandemic #TOGETHERBAND staged concerts in Brazil and Mexico with leading recording artists to deliver clean water and hygiene stations to the hardest hit communities. Most recently, #TOGETHERBAND collaborated with British artist Morag Myerscough on its Clean Power public art campaign with recycled plastic flags down Oxford St and Piccadilly Circus to drive mass awareness around the importance of switching away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
The campaign has generated over 9 billion digital impressions and raised over £2m for impact projects advancing the Goals around the world.
About BOTTLETOP:
BOTTLETOP is a British regenerative fashion accessory brand with ateliers in Salvador, Kathmandu and the Amazon rainforest.
Dedicated to building resilience in economically disadvantaged communities around the world BOTTLETOP empowers women and Indigenous peoples through the creation of its collections made from leading-edge waste and sustainably sourced materials.
For 23 years, BOTTLETOP has been working at the forefront of behaviour change with the general public and wider fashion industry, collaborating with UN agencies, contemporary artists, global brands and cultural icons to raise awareness and scale positive impact while demonstrating that it’s possible to create supply chains and products that are beneficial for people and planet.
The #TOGETHERBAND Campaign is the global advocacy platform for BOTTLETOP, marrying storytelling and design with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals to inspire action to support a healthy planet.
BOTTLETOP was founded in 2002 by Cameron and Roger Saul through ahandbag design collaboration with iconic British fashion house Mulberry, supporting artisans in Africa and local health education projects.
About Smiley: Future Positive® for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Born from the Original Smiley® Brand, Future Positive® is a bold commitment to building a sustainable future. Grounded in optimism, Smiley creates responsibly-sourced products, taking action for a better tomorrow. Together, through positive steps, big and small, our future will be positive. Made Different. Made Better.
About Smiley®:
Smiley® has been spreading joy and optimism to generations since French journalist Franklin Loufrani created the trademarked brand in 1972. Originally a gesture to urge readers of the newspaper France-Soir to ‘Take the Time to Smile’, soon this ubiquitous symbol of happiness became the most recognised and important icon in graphic design.
In 1996 Nicolas Loufrani, son of Franklin, took over the helm, steering Smiley into the digital revolution. Creating a whole new way of communicating, he added a variety of facial expressions to the original Smiley – his emoticons are now sent around the world infinitely.
Maintaining Smiley®’s friendly mantra, Loufrani created Smiley Movement in 2017. The non-profit community works across multimedia platforms aiming to inspire positive change in society addressing urgent societal and environmental problems.
Continuing to influence modern culture, Smiley® is one of the top 60 global licensing enterprises collaborating on high-profile activities spanning fashion, art, homeware, food and beverage. A TOP 100 LICENSOR Available in 155 COUNTRIES across the globe with $410M RETAIL SALES, reaching billions of consumers every year.
Celebrating the Creative, Unique, Individual and Inspirational, Smiley® co-creates premium collections, limited-edition capsules and prestigious collaborations with opinion-leading global brands and retailers.