Patagonia calls consumers’ bluff
US outdoor apparel brand Patagonia has launched an ad campaign telling consumers “Don’t Buy This Jacket”. The statement appeared above a picture of the brand’s R2 Jacket.
Patagonia claims the ad, which ran in The New York Times, is part of a push to encourage consumers to buy less and buy what they only need. It also has more than a hint of reverse psychology, and so it is hard to say whether the advertisement is a genuine attempt at sustainability or just a clever marketing ploy. Most likely, it is a little of both.
“It’s time for us as a company to address the issue of consumerism and do it head on,” Patagonia says in the ad explanation. The company goes on to admit it is being hypocritical and says it is a company that “works for environmental change”.
Patagonia says that to make one R2 Jacket, it takes 135 litres of water and emits 20 pounds of carbon dioxide.
