Comité Colbert protects French heritage, creativity in member-wide social effort

Members of France’s Comité Colbert are encouraging more than 200 million social media users to support heritage and creativity.

The Comité Colbert was established in 1954 by Jean-Jacques Guerlain, founder of the perfume house of the same name, “to promote the concept of luxury," and today it counts 78 maisons and 14 cultural institutions as members. Launched on March 31, Comité Colbert’s #HeritageAndCreativity hashtag has been making the rounds on social media to tout its members’ commitment to fighting the pillage of cultural objects, including intellectual property.

Strength in numbers
Since the end of March, Comité Colbert members have shared messages, photographs and videos to build awareness among their global community of followers to promote creativity and safeguard cultural heritage. Comité Colbert’s #HeritageAndCreativity outreach campaign is in collaboration with UNESCO.

Drawing on France’s rich heritage of craftsmanship, the international campaign calls on brand followers to spread Comité Colbert and UNESCO’s message. By doing so, consumers can play a part in protecting heritage and fostering creativity.

“Creativity cannot express itself, gain recognition and prosper unless intellectual property rights are strictly respected, for this ensures that creators receive fair compensation for their labors,” said Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes, president/CEO of Comité Colbert in a statement.

For the effort Comité Colbert designed an image to be shared by its brand members and their followers.

The #Committed concept, created by French illustrator Serge Bloch, includes a gold frame, symbolic of heritage and creativity. Comité Colbert needs consumers, represented by a hand drawn figure with outstretched arms placed within the frame, to lend their support by filling that frame.

#Committed illustration by Serge Bloch

On the effort's Web site, consumers can download the #Committed illustration in French, English or Spanish.

Using #HeritageAndCreativity as a soapbox, Comité Colbert will be able to better protect its brands and educate consumers on how heritage and creativity can be protected. Comité Colbert suggests on the hub created for the effort that consumers support creators, circulate the message to inform others and avoid purchasing counterfeit goods.

One of the largest plights of the luxury industry is the constant battle against counterfeiters. Each year, more than $28.5 billion in profits is lost in the European Union due to counterfeit apparel and accessories (see story).

Since its launch, Comité Colbert has rallied brands such as Lanvin, Guerlain, Chloe, LVMH and Baccarat, among others, to post the #HeritageAndCreativity character on social media. The Comité Colbert has also placed posters around France to further its cause among a larger audience.

A animated video by UNESCO has also been circulated by Comité Colbert brands to further illustrate the harms of not properly appreciating and consuming cultural heritage.

The animation goes to a number of countries, showing locals enjoying arts specific to their culture. Suddenly, a large hand comes from above to snatch away the cultural object leaving a crater and slamming down a stack of money.

Soon the Earth is covered by these dollars and copy appears reading, “Heritage is identity. Don’t steal it.”

UNESCO Heritage is Identity