Each year, the US spends enough on holiday decorations so it’s difficult to discourage anyone in to consume less, let alone stop shopping altogether. But sportswear company Patagonia is doing just that, and it’s not a cute marketing scheme. The company is serious about saving the environment and they’re insisting that you lend a hand.
The company’s Common Threads Initiative asks consumers to take a pledge, promising not to buy anything more than what they absolutely need, and that includes Patagonia’s own clothing and accessories. The accompanying ad campaign features the slogan, “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” But maneuvers like that aren’t out of the ordinary.
The clothing company has for decades, been spearheading initiatives to green its business, but this is perhaps its most unorthodox approach. The Common Threads Initiative, which is in its second year, aims to reduce excess consumption, giving the planet a rest from pollution, resource depletion and greenhouse gases. Its website says, “We design and sell things made to last and be useful.
But we ask our customers not to buy from us what you don’t need or can’t really use. Everything we make — everything anyone makes — costs the planet more than it gives back.” Patagonia’s end-game is a reimagined manufacturing industry where no resource is used unless it can be replaced.
Clothing company tells customers: ‘Stop buying from us’
