Punkt. for Japan: Still Time to Help

The ninth London Design Festival marks the launch of Punkt. for Japan: Still Time to Help, a special charity initiative to aid the reconstruction process in Japan following the devastation caused by the earthquake and tsunami which hit the To ̄hoku region in March 2011.

Background
Since January 2011 Punkt. has been working with the Japanese company Seiko, engineering and manufacturing its second product: the AC 01 alarm clock, designed by Jasper Morrison. The AC 01 was launched at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April 2011, just one month after the catastrophic events which struck northeast Japan. Punkt.’s business partners and friends were seriously affected.

Sensitised by these events, and confident about the potential of design when it comes to collaborative problem-solving, Punkt. conceived Punkt. for Japan: Still Time to Help in order to contribute to rebuilding the future of the affected areas in Japan.

Still Time to Help
Thanks to the generosity of Jasper Morrison’s design studio and the contribution of Seiko Clock Inc., Punkt. has designed and produced a limited edition AC 01 clock with a red dial and white body to represent the country’s flag.

This limited edition design piece will be on sale in the best design shops worldwide in order to raise as much as possible for charity.

The Charity
For the allocation of funds raised for this initiative Punkt. has joined forces with Architecture for Humanity (AfH), a non-profit organisation founded in 1999, which seeks architectural solutions to humanitarian crises and brings professional design services to communities in need. Since it was founded the organisation has worked in more than thirty countries on projects ranging from schools, health clinics, affordable housing and long-term sustainable reconstruction.

100% of the profits from the sales of the special edition clock will go to Maeami Village Reconstruction, a project supported by AfH, to rebuild family homes and play areas in Maeami, a fishing village in the To ̄hoku region which was swept away by the tsunami in March 2011. The project will help the children and families of the small fishing village to build a brighter and more sustainable future.

Kicking off on September 20 2011, Punkt. for Japan: Still Time to Help will run through to December 2011. From September 15 2011 an entire section of Punkt.’s official website will be dedicated to the charity, where it will also be possible for visitors to make voluntary donations for the full duration of the campaign. Punkt. commits to informing donors on the project
in Maeami until its completion, even in the event that it prolongs the sales of the special edition clock, which will terminate in December.

You can follow the progress of the AfH reconstruction project in Maeami on our official website www.punktgroup.com from September 15 2011 onwards.

Find out more about the charity:

For the technical specifications and features of the AC 01 please visit:

Find out where to buy a special edition AC 01 on Punkt.’s website.

A Special thanks to twentytwentyone, SCP, Jasper Morrison Ltd. Shop, and Paul Smith for supporting the UK launch of Punkt. for Japan: Still Time to Help in London during the London Design Festival.

....

Credits
Punkt. for Japan: Still Time to Help was made possible thanks to:

* Seiko Inc. for contributing generously to the production of the special edition AC 01, and for dedicating priceless time and professionalism throughout spring 2011.

* Jasper Morrison and Jasper Morrison Ltd for designing the special edition AC 01 and for supporting the initiative.

* Architecture for Humanity for the Japanese translations, and their trust, determination and hard work.

* Rosie Lee for their design and collaboration on this initiative.

* All of Punkt.’s distributors worldwide for their valuable support and collaboration.

* Positioner for their contribution to the online campaign Punkt. for Japan.