About this project

Hello! My name is Emily Lozano and I’m a freelance graphic designer in Chicago specializing in Print and Package Design. Cuba: Branded is a project that explores that state of Branding in a communist country where everything is owned by the state. I plan to travel to Cuba and photograph examples of branding including Packaging, Printed Materials and Storefronts. From these I’ll create a set of 20 full color 4 x 6 postcards.

BACKGROUND

My parents were born in Cuba in 1930. My Dad was one of two kids and my Mom was one of 9. While I was growing up I heard countless stories about what it was like in Cuba before Castro. The food, the parties and the freedoms which we would consider normal.

My Dad also told me about how he was part of the CIA’s attempts to overthrow Castro. He did this for about 4 years, two years on the island and two years living in Florida and traveling secretly between the two countries. Finally he decided to escape in a little boat with my Mom and 2 older sisters. Their lives very nearly ended that night. These stories were thrilling to me as a kid and still are and they kept Cuba alive for us.

Eventually my family moved to Chicago and settled in to American life. A little later I came along. I grew up like any American kid surrounded by branding. Like a lot of kids I was told to clean my plate because there were starving children who would be grateful for food. But for me that kid was my cousin Anabel. She was about my age and news from Cuba always brought news about what Anabel was doing. I grew up always thinking about her parallel life in Cuba.

THE PROJECT

Cuba:Branded is an extension of my curiosity about Anabel’s parallel life. I grew up here, surrounded constantly by brands with new ones popping up all the time and even helping to create some. I spend a lot of time thinking about brand loyalty and how consumers make choices based on brands. But what is Anabel’s experience of brands?

In a country where the state owns and makes everything, what happens to brands? One interesting example is Bacardi. It was a Cuban brand that moved to Puerto Rico after the revolution. But they are still making rum at the old Bacardi location. What does that label look like?

While I’m there I’ll take photos of Cuban “brands” including product packaging, printed materials and storefronts. I’ve taken a few sample photos around Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood to give you a feel of what I plan to do in Cuba.

I expect to find some established, well-executed brands and a lot of Mom and Pop type brands. I’ll collect only Cuban made products and will try to meet with the artists who work on the brands, if I’m allowed.

I also want to talk to Cubans about how they make choices and if brands enter into that equation. Do they have more than one kind of product? Are some brands better than others? There are many brands of Cigars, but is there more than one kind of coffee? Sugar? Does branding influence choices or is it all about price and availability?

Since I’ll be photographing the brands we’ll get to see what the aesthetics are. Is the look of brands stuck in the 50s or have other countries influenced the commercial art there? How is the art made? What’s the design process like?

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

The finished product will be 20 4 x 6 postcards printed on 100# recycled paper (cardstock) and collected into a box with a full color sleeve. I plan to print these in May or June of 2012.

A FEW DETAILS

I plan to travel in the Spring of 2012 and I hope to stay one or two weeks. My sister will be joining me to help with legal questions and translating, and so that I am not traveling alone. I’ll keep an online blog while I’m there documenting what I find out and post photos and videos along the way.

Your funding will help with:

• Travel expenses to Cuba (flights are about $1500)
• Travel within Cuba (taxis, car rental etc)
• Photography supplies (memory cards etc)
• Hotel stays (while I can stay with family in Matanzas I’ll need to spend some
   time in Havana as well.)
• Product purchases to photograph (I’ll need to purchase food and other
  household items to photograph the packaging)
• Printing costs for the postcards and box (about $3,000)

Anything above the goal will help provide a longer stay, better equipment, more product purchases, better quality paper for the cards and possibly more postcards for the set. Right now I plan on printing 20 but I could up that to 24 per set.

I realize this project is very expense heavy because of the travel. I've tried to make the rewards fair without breaking my budget. If you contribute at $500 or more I will bring back an awesome souvenir for you — something I will find it hard to part with!

If you'd like to have extra sets of the 20 Postcards please add on $5 for each set. At the end of the funding cycle you'll have a chance to indicate the quantities you'd like.

Please add $5 for shipping to Canada.
Please add $10 for shipping outside of US or Canada.

I’m sure I will come back with more photos than I can publish at one time so this may lead to a Volume Two.

Feel free to contact me with any questions and please help spread the word. Thank you so much for your support!