While most retailers are clamoring for your holiday dollars, one company is sending a slightly different message – think before you buy.
Outerwear retailer Patagonia launched an ad campaign on Black Friday and Cyber Monday telling consumers “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” The caption appeared above a picture of the R2 jacket, one of the company’s best-sellers.
The ad, which ran in The New York Times and was included in the company’s weekly e-newsletter, is part of the retailer’s Common Threads Initiative – a campaign that aims to persuade consumers to buy only what they need.
“Because Patagonia wants to be in business for a good long time – and leave a world inhabitable for our kids – we want to do the opposite of every other business [on Cyber Monday],” the company said on its Website. “We ask you to buy less and to reflect before you spend a dime on this jacket or anything else.”
So, why would a retailer tell consumers not to buy its product? For Patagonia, the answer is simple. Every unneccesary product purchased amounts to loads of wasted resources and potential damage to our planet.
I get what they're saying, and respect their respect for our planet, but damn, I wish they had a Black Friday sale. Patagonia is the only US company* I've found that makes outdoors clothes that fit tiny people like me (5'3" medium-built guy), and their list prices are steep. Teachers don't have $200 lying around for a fleece jacket.
*Lowe Alpine and Cloudveil occasionally produce extra smalls, but not regularly. Outside the states, Montbell has a great size range due to its large Japanese market.
