Patagonia “Don’t Buy This Jacket” Digital Case Study
Prepared By Jana Bomans
Prepared For: Dr. Raluca Fratiloiu
Okanagan College - CMNS 340 Media in Action
Introduction
This case study analyses the strategies and impact surrounding the Patagonia “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign. This campaign is relevant as a pioneering example of integrating legacy and digital media through the use QR codes (which were not yet adopted into mainstream media), inspiring the use of emerging digital media technology to unify messages across platforms and demographics (Marsh, Guth, & Short, 2018). It also exemplifies the usefulness in truthfully showcasing organizational values to create brand loyalty through consumer identification.
Background
Founded in 1973, Patagonia operates as an environmentally conscious outdoor clothing and gear retailer, obtaining B. Corp status in 2012. Patagonia’s values to “use business to protect nature” and “cause no unnecessary harm” are exemplified through its Common Threads Initiative which the “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign was implemented to bring awareness to. The main goal of the Common Threads Initiative is to lessen humanities environmental footprint and inspire anti-consumer habits asking businesses to make fewer yet higher quality goods, and consumers to think twice before buying (Patagonia, 2022).
Figure 2. (Patagonia, 2016)
Media Techniques
Patagonia utilized legacy and digital media through this campaign which ran in both the New York Times and on Patagonia’s media platforms (website, Instagram, Twitter) around Black Friday in 2011. The intentional lack of colour in this black and white campaign was strategic to add impact. Black, often associated with stability, confidence, and strength in marketing, helped communicate the gravity of their message in a direct, no-frills approach (Stone, Adams, & Morioka, 2006). However, the most obvious technique implemented by Patagonia in this campaign is its provocative headline, which due to its counter intuitive business messaging set itself apart from the clutter of corporate advertisements and led viewers to ask “why?”.
Figure 3. (Patagonia, 2016)
The bottom half of this text forward campaign provides the answer to the viewers question “why?”. Although large amounts of block text are understood to be a less effective strategy to diffuse information amongst consumers, its inclusion is mitigated by the addition of a QR code on the print version of this campaign (Marsh, Guth, & Short, 2018). This QR code provides online accessibility to all relevant details surrounding Patagonia’s Common Threads Initiative and integrates viewers of the print version of this campaign to its digital counterparts. The simplicity of the sole graphic used (a photo of jacket they Patagonia asks consumers not to buy) lends to the impact of the headline and subsequent text as not to take away or distract from the message.
As a creative call for defiant climate action, this ad also provokes a sense of honesty and humility not projected by many brands. Although still selling the very jacket it advertises not to buy, this message begins to break down the complexities of operating as a for-profit entity in today’s market while simultaneously acting in the environments best interest. It also openly addresses the hypocrisy for Patagonia, and other brands stating to work for environmental change, to continue to produce goods even when the most environmentally friendly option for them to implement is to stop operations. Patagonia’s use of various integrated platform to initiate healthy discussion over controversial topics is respected by outdoor enthusiasts who align themselves with the topic’s conversation, and subsequently identify themselves with Patagonia.
Takeaways
Patagonia’s effective use of QR codes to integrate legacy and digital media efforts exemplifies the success and impact to be had by proactively analysing and adopting emerging digital technology. It is an example of using technology to adapt long standing media strategies to the changing habits of a target market and will inspire my own work as I remember to use examine and utilize digital innovations to maintain accessibility of messaging.
Patagonia also demonstrates that consumers resonate with the virtues of honesty and humility in messaging. Remaining transparent and vulnerable as a brand about challenges faced when aspiring towards goals is recognized by consumers and a viable strategy to build community. Individuals search beyond an individual product/service when making buying decisions and search for self-identification through the organizations they support (Hobbes, 2021). This understanding will lend itself to my personal work moving forwards as I remember to look deeper into the core truths behind messaging to communicate the foundational values in which loyal communities can be made.
Conclusion
Patagonia successfully identified emerging digital technology to integrate legacy and digital media and strategically used colour (or lack of colour) to communicate the serious nature behind its bold headline. The headline itself garnered attention because it opposed the onslaught of pro-consumer messaging taking place around black Friday and strengthened its community by allowing viewers to identify themselves to the environmental values Patagonia stands for. The transparency and humility Patagonia displayed through its messaging, as well as its integration of legacy and digital media inspires the adoption of creative, honest, and user-friendly uses of digital media to promote company goals and values.
References
Hobbes, R. (2021). Media Literacy in action: Questioning the media. Rowman & Littlefield. https://ezproxy.okanagan.bc.ca/ebrary/okanagan-ebooks/unauthorized&url=https%3A%2F%2Febookcentral.proquest.com%2Flib%2Fokanagan-ebooks%2Fdetail.action%3FdocID%3D6425903
Marsh, S., Guth, D., Short, B.P. (2018) Strategic writing: Multimedia writing for public relations, advertising and more. Routledge. https://www.scribd.com/document/529793734/Strategic-Writing-Multimedia-Writing-for-Public-Relations-Advertising-and-More-by-Charles-Marsh
Patagonia. (2022). Don’t buy this jacket: Black friday and the new york times. Patagonia. https://www.patagonia.ca/story-18615.html
Patagonia. (2016). Don’t buy this jacket [Photograph]. Patagonia. https://www.patagonia.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/nyt_11-25-11.pdf
Stone, T.L, Adams, S., Morioka, N. (2006). Colour design workbook: A real-world guid to using colour in graphic design. Rockport Publishers. https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.okanagan.bc.ca/eds/ebookviewer/ebook/bmxlYmtfXzU3MTQ1M19fQU41?sid=b126c96c-d9d5-49f4-bcba-7290372aaa07@redis&vid=0&format=EB&rid=1
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