Cardboard Packaging
It has been noticed that several Southern Gospel artists are moving toward using cardboard packaging as opposed to the traditional CD jewel case. Averyfineline did a post on this not too long ago, and I’ve been watching the trend myself with interest.
What I had not figured out yet was why artists did this. Sure, secular artists might do it for eco-friendly reasons, but for some reason I wasn’t particularly expecting LordSong, the Collingsworth Family, and Poet Voices to be at the forefront of the environmentalist movement. (Parenthetically–it’s one project each for LordSong and Poet Voices, and two CDs and a DVD for the Collingsworths.)
Observing that two of the three artists who have used cardboard packaging (Poet Voices and the Collingsworth Family) are Crossroads artsts, I decided to email Mickey Gamble and ask why some Crossroads artists were moving to cardboard packaging, and if he viewed it as a fad or as the front end of a general trend. He replied:
There is no big plan, one way or the other. Some artists are preferring because of space, some environmental (although they are only eco-friendly if they use recycled paper which is a very expensive proposition), some just think it is more artful packaging. We try to please the artist.
I was speaking of it highly...
Comment by GospelMusicFan (May 23, 2007, 9:10 am)
If you lived in Oregon or Massachusetts, you would call it being environmental friendly.
You might be seeing the end of those
“rubber band” or “plastic wrapped” cds speciasl.
I understand the new specials to help raise funds for bus coach fuel are call the “diesel” specials.
There is a real environmental question for the artists in light of the current movement to ban plastic bags.
What will the artists do with all the household rubblish on the bus that they might normally throw in the next trash container up the highway?
Comment by natesings (May 23, 2007, 10:37 am)
If I had a guess I would say the reason is more along the lines of being different or hip vs. eco friendly.
Comment by LSJ (May 23, 2007, 10:41 am)
We were just talking about these last night. What we discovered is that, with the advent of digital media and those handy car sun-visor CD-holders, the use of jewel cases is virtually obsolete. Additionally, it is apparently much cheaper to have a printing company run a bunch of these cardboard packages with a different stylized cover picture printed on it, then put in the CD and maybe an insert with group or song info, etc.
Comment by Troy (May 23, 2007, 11:32 am)
Daniel,
Just a note about the Collingsworth family. They went to the better packaging based purely on their desire to be at the top of their game. It is not cheaper to do what they do but if you look at their stuff they are always on the cutting edge. God has blessed them and they are ministry focused and absolutely excellent in what they do. I know that is their desire.
Thanks
Troy
Comment by Gradie (May 29, 2007, 5:38 pm)
It’s cheaper!!!!