If you ever spend any amount of time uptown in Harlemworld, there’s only one brand young people rep harder than Nike—and that’s Newport. It’s not a secret that the tobacco industry specifically targets at-risk youth and impoverished communities. A shining light in this neighborhood is our friends at Goliath. They’ve been bringing fresh ideas and equally fresh gear to young people for many years now. It was important to me that they get down with the Truth1585 project. A few words from Team Goliath:
We were honored to be asked to participate in the new Truth1585 campaign by jeffstaple. Truth is the nation’s largest youth smoking prevention campaign, and the only national campaign not run by the tobacco industry. For the Truth1585 partnership, Staple is working with select boutiques and street culture stores located across the country … Staple collaborated with each of the stores to produce original t-shirts — one for each boutique’s unique clientele. You can pick up our tee exclusively at Goliath.
(I love this “Menthol Camo”!)

When I was selecting who I wanted to work with for the Truth1585 Project, I knew Washington DC was a place that had to be represented. After all, this is where laws are born. And also where laws fall short. It’s very symbolic to have DC involved in the project in some way. My friends at Major were more than ready to set up. I love this design! It shows how politics often gets in the way of doing what’s right for the people. In fact, I’ll let the fellas from Major tell it in their own words:

Our latest project involves something that’s deeper than design, style, art or commerce.  When Jeff Staple from the Staple Design approached us about Truth1585, we were excited to be involved in such an educational project that can actually help people.
Being in the Nation’s Capitol, we have grown used to all the “politics as usual” activities that surround us. Two major political parties can’t seem to agree on anything nowadays, and the term “bipartisan” support seems like an ideal concept that has become meaningless over the years. Yet, there is one thing that seems to get “bipartisan” support, and that’s the Big Tobacco.  While legislators are busy trying to outlaw smoking in public places, we do not notice the fact that Big Tobacco is still paying the bills for most of these politicians through their lobbying efforts on the Hill, and a slew of big paying work opportunities for them before and after their political careers.  That is precisely why the behavior of smoking is being outlawed, yet manufacturing of cigarettes remain unregulated for the most part.  It’s a typical “let’s penalize the ordinary hard-working Americans for using, but let’s not do anything to the institution that creates the product.”
After some research, we found that a very senior ranking Senator was working to defend the Big Tobacco as their legal counsel before being elected to serve the people. We found numerous articles about how Big Tobacco contributes heavily to many of the political campaigns, especially in the South, so that their business interests are protected in the states like North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
The fact is that both parties don’t mind the money that Big Tobacco provides for their campaigns or pre/post political careers, and advocacy for the tobacco companies are spread throughout Capitol Hill.  So why not expose that truth with a t-shirt design that depicts both party mascots blowing smokes?  We think that the politicians have been blowing smoke up our collective ass for too long. It’s time to expose the truth.

TRUTH! Thanks Major!

TRUTH1585 from jeffstaple on Vimeo.