BACKGROUND
Created by environmental activist Carolyn Moran, the Living Tree Paper Company (Living Tree) provides high end / premium papers made from tree-free non-wood sources (hemp/flax), post consumer waste, and responsibly harvested trees. In 2002, The Spitfire Agency consulted the Red Hot Chili Peppers in becoming the first major band to print their CD booklet on paper made from non-wood sources. The vendor chosen for this groundbreaking project was Living Tree Paper. After working together on the RHCP project, The Spitfire Agency was later hired by Living Tree Paper to further their success.

CHALLENGE
Introduce, promote and market Living Tree Paper Company to the music industry. Grow the company.

SOLUTION
Educate music industry visionaries as to the environmental destruction currently taking place within the paper industry, and motivate them to be the first industry to make a collective change. Drive the price of non-wood papers down by developing a coalition of music industry leaders to commit the bulk of their printing to Living Tree’s sustainable papers.

RESULTS
The Spitfire Agency grew Living Tree’s yearly business by 40% the first year through the support of Alanis Morissette, the Foo Fighters, Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, Jackson Browne, Linkin Park, Bonnie Raitt, REM, Dave Mathews, and many others. The Spitfire Agency convinced Warner Brothers Records to drive the price of non-wood paper down for the entire music industry, by committing the bulk of their yearly business to Living Tree. Now that pricing is competitive to standard tree-paper, Living Tree’s business continues to grow, with all major music industry printers now using Living Tree.

See what REM has to say about going Tree-Free.

View music industry marketing materials The Spitfire Agency created for Living Tree.