Victoria-based game and design studio Frosty Pop is inspiring folks to #BeeTheChange through playful animations.
Krispee is a cast of cute and charming characters created by the team at Frosty Pop. The “comic with feelings” came to life after the pandemic started, as the Frosty Pop team, like most of us, found themselves reflecting on the world around them. Krispee launched on Instagram in November and quickly rose to 100,000 followers.
“I think Krispee brings a pleasant, feel-good view to the world we’re living in now,” says Faisal Sethi, Founder of Frosty Pop and the creative leader behind Krispee. “It was a reaction to the times.”
In honour of World Bee Day, Krispee announced a collaboration with PANGAIA, a leader in sustainable fashion, to help raise awareness of the decimation of bee colonies. One year ago, PANGAIA, in partnership with the crowdfunding platform Milkywire, launched the Bee The Change Fund. Donations to the fund support five grassroots NGOs working on Bee conservation in Kenya, Sweden, and the UK.
Now Krispee is joining the hive with its newest animated crew member: the adorably round Krispee Bee. Each comic is paired with a pun such as “you bee you” or “let it bee.” Sethi hopes Krispee Bee will help bring awareness to the issues that bees are facing: “I don’t think many people appreciate how integral they are to the natural environment, to our lives.”
For the last three decades, bees have been disappearing due to environmental toxins, pesticides and loss of habitat. The UN declared May 20th World Bee Day to bring awareness to the crucial role pollinators play in our ecosystems. According to the Bee The Change website, almost three-quarters of the crops that feed 90 per cent of the population rely on bees for pollination. And one-third of the world’s food production depends on these tiny insects.
While awareness is the primary goal of the project, the partnership with PANGAIA is also part of the excitement for the Victoria company. Greg Stogdon and J.D. Ostrow, Sethi’s Frosty Pop partners, both have ties to the fashion world having worked at Calvin Klein as chief branding officer and chief marketing officer, respectively. Their background paired with the success of Krispee paved the way for the collaboration with the sustainable-textiles innovator.
“PANGAIA is doing amazing stuff in the material sciences space,” says Sethi, “Coming up with environmentally friendly clothing and textiles and processes that are really cool.”
The latest development from the science-based fashion brand is a technique that draws carbon from air pollution to create ink for fabrics. On May 20, they released a line of yellow clothing to celebrate World Bee Day. All materials are either recycled or sourced sustainability and part of the proceeds are donated to Bee The Change.
Sethi hopes to help engage a broader audience with PANGAIA’s mission and the importance that bees hold in our lives. When asked what he thinks Krispee brings to the sustainability conversation, Sethi speaks to relatability.
“We bring a very odd, quirky perspective to the world and I think it resonates with people. It’s a bit funny, it’s a bit weird at times but I think it’s thoughtful and clever and smart.” He believes Krispee’s power lies in its gentleness and levity. “If you can make people smile, It’s much easier to connect with them.”
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