It all began on a brisk autumn day within the warm confines of a Nordic coffee house. Here, an idea was conceived that would define the identity of this entity. The idea? To establish a creative studio that has the interests of people and planet at its heart.
Champion Creative is the result of that idea's evolution, and subsequently here today is a body of text trying to explain why such a venture is important. For more explicit details about this company, head over to the About page. For more on why we’re doing what we’re doing, please read on.
Since companies are made of people, we believe they should act in the interests of people. The fact that so many don’t, choosing instead the quickest route to monetary success (often with their customer and the environment footing an inequitable cost in order for this to happen) is short-sighted in our opinion. We acknowledge our role as a company in a capitalist system that rewards questionable - sometimes reckless - behaviour, and we pledge to prioritise the interests of people and the planet while pursuing our own success.
Our dream is to live in a world where we don’t have to worry about existential threats caused by climate change, biodiversity loss, overpopulation and excessive waste. That’s why we’re resourcing through LABS the development of material that empowers people and businesses alike to improve their day-to-day decision making. It’s also why PHOTOGRAPHIC solely offers artwork that fosters a connection between people and nature, and why our FILMS brand has been founded with the intent of telling stories that challenge people to think differently.
We strive to lead by example in all of these business areas by continuously reviewing the ways we operate, thus ensuring we’re doing our stuff in ways that put the interests of people and planet first. We remain accountable to our sustainability claims to avoid greenwashing, we reject complacency, and the commercial clients and funding partners we choose to work with must also meet criteria in line with our values.
Humans are a diverse species. In Aotearoa we've got just about every kind of person you can think of - hairy dairy farmers, avid activists, dedicated drag queens - everyone plays an important part in the make-up of our society. We believe our differences are a thing that should be celebrated, because it'd be a boring world if we were all the same. When engaging with us - regardless of who you are, whatever and whoever you love - you do you, and we’ll defend your right to that. Equal respect regardless of X, Y or Z.
We acknowledge that there is a ton of bias in the system directed against certain kinds of people, even in today’s society. We don’t have all the answers, but we do want to be a part of the conversation, and we pledge to platform stories that drive us towards a more inclusive society - because that’s in the interests of people.
There isn’t much worse in the business world than people in tall air-conditioned boxes spouting untruths to make money, or companies that don’t take ownership of things they could & should be doing better. Short sightedness, carelessness, greed, complacency and neutrality are attributes of traditional business that we wholly reject.
Transparency is a value that is taken seriously round here, because dishonesty erodes trust. Without trust, there is no point doing business, in our opinion. We therefore pledge to be honest at all stages of your engagement with us, and never withhold information that we deem relevant to your relationship with us.
We also aim to be transparent when it comes to our development of sustainable operations under each of our brands. We are not perfect, but we’re taking every opportunity we can to get better. We owe it to you to deliver on our promises.
“If you’ve gotten this far I congratulate you - we’ve dealt with some heavy stuff and it’s people like you who are willing to confront it that are leading the charge towards a positive future.
I established Champion Creative in 2019 with the goal of creating a platform for all things creative, while leveraging my skillset to try and make a difference for the planet. It’s much the same today, albeit with clearer direction and more urgency. In my opinion, companies have been complacent beacons of neutrality for far too long. The issues we’re facing in sustainability right now are far too pressing and existential to stay silent about - therefore, Champion Creative is opinionated as hell.
My promise to you is to do everything in my power to uphold every value mentioned on this page. As director, I’m trying to build a legacy for this company in being responsible, and acting with a care that reaches beyond our key areas of economic activity.
Champion Creative isn’t going anywhere - we’re just getting started.”
- Joe Canham, founder and director
