PATAGONIA FOR THE PLANET: A Radical Move for a Radical Brand

In 2016, Patagonia kicked off a new Black Friday tradition, vowing to donate 100% of their BF profits to grassroots environmental groups, donating $10 million in total. In 2017, they made additional waves by announcing they would sue former president Trump over legislation that reduced the size of Bear Ears and Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monuments in Utah. And in 2022, just two weeks ago, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard changed the game entirely, announcing that he’d transferred ownership of the company to a special trust and non-profit organization. Moving forward, 100% of the outdoor brand’s profits will be used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the world.

It’s a radical move for an already-radical brand, and as our founder Jack Bedwani said to Marketing Dive last week, “the fact is Patagonia has raised the bar so incredibly high [and] it’s going to be difficult for other brands to get close.” Patagonia’s move is a demonstration of the brand’s selfless commitment to saving the planet, sending a message to all in the “most powerful and irrevocable way,” as Jack puts it, and it’s a move that will likely go unrivaled for years to come.

Of course, Patagonia’s purposeful move towards Earth stewardship is not without its criticisms, with some calling it an avoidance of taxes and even a sign of declining democracy (which seems like a stretch to us). Criticisms aside, it’s still very much in line with Patagonia’s past efforts, down to the delivery mechanism. Rather than billboards or glossy videos, Chouinard announced the unprecedented move in a simple letter. Jack notes, “Patagonia to date wouldn’t ‘brag’ about the good they are doing. However, we (the general public) have notoriously short memories.” Whilst this announcement is currently sparking conversation, there will undoubtedly be something that pops up in days or weeks that moves the restructuring out of our collective memory. How and if Patagonia speaks about this move in the future is something we’ll be keeping our eye on.

To read more of Jack’s insightful commentary on Patagonia (in Spanish!), Marketing Directo has published a piece as well. For additional resources and information on climate change, there’s the How to Save A Planet podcast; and Slow Factory, Future Earth, and The All We Can Save Project, which foster community & conversation. To learn about the state of fashion and sustainability, we’ve got a fresh piece here.

Much like you dear reader, we’re always learning and leaning into conversations around sustainability—if you have ideas or initiatives to share, we’d love to hear from you!

With Love,

New Moon 🌱