The company decided it was willing to risk losing sales in support of a larger cause and ran ads urging people not to buy its clothing (or at least, not to buy a new jacket if they didn’t actually need it). Says Patagonia’s Sheahan, “Those ads were just asking people to question their consumerism and maybe be a little more mindful about the stuff they’re purchasing.” Still, it was a high-risk message, though Sheahan says it actually helped the brand gain market share by attracting more customers—who presumably admired the stand Patagonia was taking with the ads.
