Did you know that The Chicago Tribune averages 40% recycled stock? That equates to 116,377 metric tons of paper saved every year (and probably a few forests). Plus they use soy-based ink, bio-diesel in their delivery trucks and they offer a greener way to pay your bill. Easy Pay is their automatic service that eliminates monthly mailings and the need for checks.

We were approached by our client to create a mailer that would encourage people to sign up:

Our creative is hard-working, roll-up-your-sleeves direct response – a corporate communications envelope (6×9 kraft) that will be opened, crystal clear messaging and a fast call-to-action. The Tribune folks also threw in a solid premium – a re-usable grocery bag.

The letter is clean, with bold subheads that encourage scanning and instant understanding of the exclusive subscriber message. We’re hoping the results match our previous successes with the Tribune.

If you subscribe to the Chicago Tribune and get the above mailer, be sure to sign up for Easy Pay. Being “green” is practical choice that helps the world, and could be an easy part of your every day. Plus that bag is HUGE (we use ours all the time).

The results were great – 20 cyclists donated and a few spectators brought food just for the heck of it. We’re humbled by the generosity of the cyclists at the Dirt Derby – there’s enough there to fill a small shopping cart.

There’s still time to get on the pick-up list for Saturday’s donation run. We’re riding – with Adomatica and a few other cyclists – from North Austin to South and picking up scheduled food donations as we make our way to the HAMup TweetUP. All you need to do is email HAMup@stalelife.com and give us your address. We’ll show up and collect the food from your porch or your person.

The more food there is, the more people we can feed. And with news of Ike heading toward the Texas coast, the Capital Area Food Bank will use all the food it gets. They provide immediate disaster relief for gulf-coast hurricanes (amongst other things).

Please consider donating.

Yeah, neither did we. That is until some of our friends on Twitter started chatting about it. Next thing you know, the local community is rallying around this great cause and supporting the Capital Area Food Bank with the HAMup TweetUP. Immediately we thought, “how can we help this social event, but with our own spin?”

A coffee’s worth of brainstorming
with Robert Gilbreath of Adomatica and several ideas rose to the top. But none stuck out as much as picking up donations on September 13th and transporting them via bicycle straight to the CAFB. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to donate if you can’t make the event yourself.

There are plenty of ways you can help feed the hungry. Here are just a few:

• Collect donations in your office, church, school or social events
• Spread the word about Hunger Action Month – here are some examples of avatars people have created for their social networking sites
• Take a “Hunger is unacceptable” image and upload it here. Then share it with your friends.
• Volunteer your time at the HAMup TweetUP on 09.13
• Attend the HAMup GrillUP Happy Hour dinner at Whole Foods on 09.11
• Grab your bike and join us on 09.13 as we take a slow stroll from North Austin to South, picking up food goods along the way

If you can’t make the HAMup TweetUP – but you know that you’ll shop for groceries this week or next – let us bring some of these needed items on your behalf. We will even pick up checks made out to the CAFB.

To schedule a pickup, please email us at HAMup@stalelife.com.

Our convoy will leave from Burnet and Justin area and pick up any donation (and riders) between the highways all the way down to CAFB. If you live East of I35 or West of MOPAC and can collect in your area and join us, that would be great.

Let’s feed even more people this year while laying down less of a carbon footprint! You can make a difference in the lives of hungry Central Texans, so please consider helping out.

15 people took the day to celebrate a year of smart marketing and advertising with our crew. It was a good mixture of clients, cohorts and friends. We even saw a SOX 13-8 winner over the Pirates.

Good thing the SOX got that winning idea out of their system before the weekend Cubs series.

See you next year!

We met near the statue dedicated to the 2005 World Champs!

A new Stalelife tradition – wish organist Nancy Faust
a good game for good luck.

All eyes were on the board in the 3rd. Woot!

No doubt Kurt and Matt were discussing the finer points of editing video.
Matt’s recent creations all feature his newborn son, Rylan.

What a good looking crew. Missing a couple of folks from the
full roster in this one.

Stuck with driving duties…thanks, Sid!

We put it on the White Sox scoreboard, but here is
actual proof – our clients rock!

Monday night I caught “Manufactured Landcapes” on the Sundance Channel (it’s OnDemand for Comcast users). It’s a documentary about photographer Edward Burtynsky and his quest to show the impact of the natural landscape and how it’s been changed by industry and population growth. The film strides to not be preachy and let’s the photographer’s work speak to the subject matter.

Burtynsky’s work and vision come through as you see him thrust his camera into the various locations throughout China, Bangladesh and other parts of Asia. The photos show you the impact that the world has with demand for oil, new technology and energy dependence.

One segment that struck a chord, was when he traveled to rural China to a town that breaks down e-waste (old electronics, computers, etc.) and recycles the metals used in manufacturing them. This may seem like a good notion until you learn that they were improperly disposing of computer monitors. Unknown to them, the monitors had harmful chemicals that have seeped into the water table and polluted it beyond human consumption and have it shipped in.

Knowing this makes me want to skip buying any new computers or cell phones and ride my bike everywhere. Please take 80mins out of your life and watch this movie. It’s will change the way you see your impact on the world.

Buy the DVD