Don't Buy This Product--Please

There are few things as strikingly counter-intuitive as Patagonia's marketing campaign, "Don't Buy This Jacket." It is brilliant in its contradictory placement of a lovely new fleece under an imperative to stay far away, don't you dare give us your dollars to take our product home. The unstated addendum being: if you don't need it, that is.

Years ago, someone told me that employees could take paid leave to cultivate an innovative new sustainable business idea, and I could hardly believe a for-profit company would do such a thing. Patagonia's values-driven approach has been part of their brand since the beginning, and they're known for treating their employees and the environment right. The campaign delineates wants vs. needs, encouraging folks to consider their lovely product, but also whether they are buying it for the right reasons. 

Their Common Threads Initiative encourages customers to sign a pledge stating:

I agree to buy only what I need (and will last), repair what breaks, reuse (share) what I no longer need and recycle everything else.

The trust and honesty that comes with not forcing its products upon us, yet having extremely reliable and high-quality products, only builds more trust. The jacket is presented as merely an option, not a mandate, and Patagonia seems like an old friend with a suggestion for you. Plus, they have the shared values and CSR platform to back it up. Let's hit the trails.

image via patagonia.com