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Rose Brand launched a national campaign in late April to reinforce the social distancing message with the unfurling of a 140-foot banner in its Secaucus, N.J., headquarters parking lot. The banner, manufactured and printed in-house, conveys the rallying cry, “Join the resistance, keep your distance” and features Lady Liberty, an iconic symbol of hope.
“Social distancing saves lives and now is not the time to stop,” says Josh Jacobstein, Rose Brand president. “For decades, Rose Brand has provided stage curtains, backdrops, fabrics and supplies for countless productions and events. Today, we’re putting these same skills to work to encourage social distancing.”
The company has created masks, banners, posters, bumper stickers and clothing that communicate the social distancing message, available on a new website, www.DistanceIsResistance.com. Rose Brand will donate 25 percent of the sale of the items to The Coronavirus Relief Fund. The fund’s goal is to raise $5 million to support health-care workers and those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Rose Brand is also fighting its own private war against COVID-19, having been forced to temporarily furlough much of its 400-person workforce due to the impact the virus has had on its industry. The company’s products are a part of nearly every Broadway, school and church production, as well as major events at arenas, concert halls and smaller venues throughout the country.
“We’re trying to make a difference any way that we can,” Jacobstein says. “We’ve put together kits for portable medical cubicles using standard pipe and base structures, engaged with our textile mills to bring out fabrics that have antimicrobial finishes for curtain dividers, and supplied fabrics to the crafters and grassroots organizations that are building face masks for their local communities.” For information, visit www.DistanceIsResistance.com.