HAPPYBOX™ REPRESENTING SWEDEN AT WORLD EXPO 2020
“The HappyBoxes™ has made a success in Dubai! Everyone loves them!"
- Lina Groth - Senior Business Developer - International Markets @ Swedish Energy Agency
Smart City Sweden - a state-funded platform for sustainable city solutions, was looking for a fun and unique 'Business card' to inspire the world to make better environmental and social sustainability choices.
They asked me to develop a unique design to illustrate Swedish accomplishments and goals with a bespoke 'Swedish HappyBox' representing Sweden, Team Sweden, Smart City Sweden & Swedish Energy Agency
at World Expo 2020, Dubai UAE. 1 October 2021 -31 March 2022.
EXPO 2020 DUBAI UAE - 'CONNECTING MINDS, CREATING THE FUTURE'
“We all have the power to build a better world and shape the future.”
"For 170 years, World Expos have provided a platform to showcase the greatest innovations that have shaped the world we live in today. Expo 2020 will continue that tradition with the latest technology from around the globe."
Due to Covid-19, World Expo 2020 was delayed for a year but the purpose of 'Connecting minds, Creating the future' has only grown stronger as the world rebuilds.
World Expo is the most incredible showcase of human brilliance and achievement, with 192 participating nations.
And for the first time in World Expo history, each country will have its own pavilion.*
If you happen to be at World Expo 2020, come and visit the Swedish Pavilion and pick up your Swedish 'HappyBox.'
Illustrated & Designed by Swedish Artist Malin Granfors (ME!).
* Text & info from www.expo2020dubai.com
THE OPPORTUNITY
"Great opportunities don't come every day
- recognize and seize them with every chance you get."
In late September 2020, I received a phone call ill never forget. The woman who called me introduced herself as Lina Groth. She had seen my HappyBoxes™ on Social Media and wanted to meet up for lunch to discuss a great business opportunity for a big event in Dubai.
I'm always up for new challenges and got super curious and excited, not knowing what to expect!
A few days later, we met up, and Lina explained that she works for the 'Swedish Energy Agency', part of 'Smart City Sweden' & 'Team Sweden', and she was in charge of finding a fun and unique Business Card to represent Sweden at the World Expo in Dubai.
'Smart City Sweden' is a state-funded export platform that initiates cooperation between Sweden and other countries within innovative and sustainable city solutions and gathers best practices from Sweden within five focus areas: Climate, Energy & Environment, Mobility, Digitalisation, Urban planning and Social sustainability.
She was very impressed with my HappyBoxes™ and asked me to develop an inspiring design to highlight Sweden's contribution to The Global Goals. She wanted each four corner illustrations to have my unique cut-out features (Registered Design) and text and symbols on the inside to give examples of Sweden's accomplishments within the focus areas.
THE CHALLANGE
"Determination, with an optimistic attitude is the key to success."
- Dalai Lama XIV
I have worked on many significant projects for world-renowned brands in the past, but this has by far been my most extensive project! To have my homeland Sweden as my client and the opportunity to have my design (and my name on it!) at The World Expo 2020 to represent Sweden and The Global Goals would be a dream come true!
My drive and determination to make this happen was so intense! I WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
Lina gave me pretty free hands with my design and illustrations, as long as they reflected Swedish achievements, goals and followed Swedish Brand Guidelines. After lots of research and working day and night on my design, the prototype was ready to be presented, and they loved it! After a few tweaks here and there, the Swedish HappyBox™ Business card was ready to be produced.
"Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are."
- Theodore Roosevelt
Another challenge was to find a manufacturer in Sweden to produce the 'HappyBoxes' and find a suitable a 100% Recycled material that's flexible enough and doesn't affect the print when folded without the soft-touch coating used on all my other HappyBoxes™.
My other HappyBoxes™ were made in the UK while I was living there, and it took me ages to find someone that could produce my HappyBoxes™ to my satisfaction. The colours, the material (FSC & 100% Recycled Board), the crease lines and the cut-outs are tricky to get right. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my designs. I want people to really love both the look and feel of my HappyBoxes when holding it in their hands. I, of course, found a fantastic manufacturer that manufactured all my other HappyBoxes™ to my satisfaction, but that company is based in the UK. These Happybox Business Cards needed to be made in Sweden on a 100% Recycled Board.
I got in touch with my cousin's partner Lars who owns a small Print Company in my hometown, with excellent connections with big Print Houses that could handle a big and complicated production like this.
It was a bit of a last-minute project, and production takes up to 3 weeks, so there is no room for errors.
If the production went wrong, there would be no time to redo it. If it failed, I would be the reason Sweden wouldn't have a Business card at the World Expo 2020, so the weeks during production was nerve-wracking!
THE RESULT
"Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Three weeks after I sent the final Artwork to print, the Swedish HappyBox™ Business cards got delivered.
They turned out great! I couldn't be happier! And most important, the client was very delighted with their new interactive Business cards.
Six days after I received the HappyBox™ delivery they were on the way to Dubai. A few days later I received the best text message ever from my client:
“The HappyBoxes has made a success in Dubai! Everyone loves them!”
- Lina Groth
The Swedish HappyBox™ has received lots of great comments from visitors and participators at the Swedish Pavillon at The World Expo...
"What a creative way to mediate important information about the climate in a playful way!"
"They bring back wonderful childhood memories"
Thank you Lina Groth for giving me this fantastic opportunity!
Yours Truly, Malin Granfors
Read more about Sweden’s contribution to The Global Goals:
www.smartcitysweden.com