Shopping for Japan

When disaster strikes, we all want to help - and the earthquake, tsunami and still developing nuclear issue in Japan made quite an impact on me. In general, I feel like we're seeing more and more natural disasters, but this one was somehow different; perhaps it is because it struck in what we consider a highly developed society, which has available to it all precautionary measures so far invented by human kind. Of course, the fact that at least the tsunami made for such good TV, unlike an earthquake (as in Haiti) where you can only show the impact it has had on buildings etc., probably made a difference too; and there is always the Biblical references to The Flood to people in Western societies.

Aid poster from des!gn think!ng*

As always, all kinds of relief efforts are going on around the world - you can either give money directly, or buy products which 'donate all profits to aid Japan' (now, as I am planning to study economics I am tempted to ask: Including normal profits?, but that is besides the point). I know it is (aside from actually helping the Japanese) a PR stunt by the companies, and that it is meant to make me want to buy their products more because I can rationalise my way into it ("Well, the money's for a good cause!") - still... Win-Win situation?

AMBUSH Koppel pendant watch in red 
limited edition (500) from Georg Jensen

Today I got a newsletter from Danish silverware- and jewellery brand Georg Jensen, saying they had made a limited edition of one of their watch pendants. And I want it soooo bad!! Isn't it pretty? I hate being on a student budget at times like this - it costs €630.

"For Them" by Technique Indiscréte

One thing which is perhaps slightly more affordable is a limited edition perfume from Parisian 'Technique Indiscréte', made with notes of lavender. It is also a limited edition, but with 1000 available bottles - and is sold at €35 plus shipping (=€45 to Denmark). Another thing I wouldn't mind owning.

It occurs to me that a lot of the aid-products I've seen in relation to Japan have been these quite expensive, exclusive kinds of products. Perhaps it is a result of Japan being a more developed country - we have other connotations to it? Or perhaps the Japanese flag simply invites to those kinds of products.. the red circle is very easy to incorporate in a simplistic way, without it screaming "I HAVE DONATED FOR JAPAN!" - the Georg Jensen watch for example would be beautiful also without one knowing the money went to a good cause. Finally, the companies which can make these kinds of products as believable PR-stunts are probably the ones which have some kind of affiliation with Japan, if only through aesthetic principles - and simplisticness is often a high-end thing.

So... I know I'm being manipulated, and that I ought to just donate without there having to be something in it for me. Still, as I wrote above - win-win situation?