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IFC/World Bank: Pangea

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Metropolitan Group was hired by the International Finance Corporation (IFC)/World Bank to provide strategic communication and design services for Pangea, an artisan market and cafe at IFC in Washington, D.C., that opened in May 2006. The educational retail store features high-quality traditional handcrafted products made by artisans in developing countries all over the world.

The 3,800-square-foot store features a relaxed atmosphere for enjoying a cup of fair trade coffee and a light meal amid displays of crafts from around the world. As customers browse the wares, they can read stories about the people who make the products. For example, the silk purses from Cambodia are sewn by women who have been rescued from sexual slavery or drug addiction by the Swiss nonprofit Hagar Design, a favorite organization of socially conscious actress Angelina Jolie. The elephant grass placemats come to Pangea from a group called Gone Rural that works with HIV-positive women in Swaziland who have little or no access to medical care.

MG helped IFC develop the brand for Pangea, including its name, messages and visual identity. We developed the outreach and communication strategy and drafted collateral materials, from brochures and fact sheets to exhibit panels and storytelling hangtags for the products. We supported the opening of the new business by providing media counsel and spokesperson training. Please visit the store at Pennsylvania Avenue and 21st Street in D.C.