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Don’t Buy This Ad

By Frugaling 8 Comments

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Photo Christopher Michel/Flickr

Flip an axis, make millions

Vietnam, hippies, and the civil rights movement all fomented into a powerful decade: the 60s. Flowery colors exalted a message of happiness and love over war. The Baby Boomer generation entered the workforce in droves.

Profits were to be made, and companies were eager to snatch even small portions of this new market. The continued growth of suburbs spawned a movement towards independence via cars. At this time of great economic and scientific potential, one auto company, VW (Volkswagen), created one of the most iconic advertisements ever made.

Printed in black, bold lettering was the word, “Lemon.” And above the text was a classic VW Beetle. Lemons were unreliable cars, and the VW ad suggested that the company carefully screened out those cars. Only perfection would be accepted; or, as they stated, “We pluck the lemons; you get the plums.”

Turning a word on its axis and daring readers to read on was risky. The advertisement had the potential to make consumers think, “VW Beetle is a lemon.” If they stayed for the explanation, the ad became clear; subtly, they were suggesting that other companies don’t care about reliability as much. By using “lemon,” they capitalized and succeeded in selling significantly more cars. It worked.

How “don’t buy” becomes “buy more”

In 2012, another company took a big risk: Patagonia. The corporate and marketing teams noted that there was a growing movement towards sustainability. Encompassed in this trend were simple living aficionados, minimalists, and value-oriented consumers. These careful consumers wanted great quality in responsible packages.

This Patagonia’s niche for quite some time. They advertised fair-trade, organic, and environmentally friendly products. Sales were growing, but then they decided to bet the farm on one massive ad in The New York Times. With bombastic, bold text, they wrote, “Don’t buy this jacket.” Behind the text was a Patagonia jacket.

Underneath the ad, the company focused on five key words: reduce, repair, reuse, recycle, and reimagine. Every word was paired with a communal pronoun of “We.” It took everyone to reduce the carbon footprint, make the garments last, and find good homes for them after use. Patagonia seemed to be advertising that consumers take good care of the goods, and consider repairing them before throwing them away. All solid virtues.

These value-laden terms were inspirational to those who had suffered through The Great Recession. Because the company struck a chord with the current market demands, the company profited royally. After that advertising campaign, the company saw double-digit growth.

Ironically, that’s unsustainable. Double-digit growth, compounded repeatedly, would make the company larger than Apple in a few years. And never mind the horrible environmental costs that would be necessary to produce these garments.

Your values can become a manipulation tool

Nefarious. That’s the word that comes to mind when companies manipulate us through our values. The trick is subtle, and if you blink you’ll miss it.

For the aspirational types, there’s Gucci, Coach, and Louis Vuitton. For the trend setters, there’s H&M and Express. For the recreational, there’s The North Face, Columbia, and even Patagonia. Each brand is shaped by its consumers, but also shapes their consumers – the effect is bidirectional. In other words, we affect brands and they affect us.

If our values center on sustainability, kindness to the Earth, and repairing over ridding, a chicanery of sorts can be used against us. Without the brand awareness and heavy advertising, we could go to Goodwill or any other secondhand store for options. The clothing would be in fine shape or could even be repaired to return to like-new status. But we don’t, and there’s a reason why.

Corporations are powerful. Even the kindest ones can sway us from choosing another, more affordable option because they espouse “our” values. We like when we see our values portrayed in mission statements. We like that connection and feeling of being a part of something larger than ourselves. The brands fill that void. They provide a home for values.

So, should I buy that shirt?

Patagonia plainly states “Don’t buy this shirt.” Unfortunately, to those that connect with anti-consumption, anti-materialism, and minimalism, it’s hard not to foam at the mouth with lust for this company’s ad.

I love it! That’s the ad for me. It speaks to my heart. Despite the clear declaration to avoid purchasing their clothing, I can’t help but be intrigued and want to support them.

Subtly, the company is able to supplant a more frugal choice when the time comes to buy something. Goodwill doesn’t have the marketing budget of Patagonia, so the first reaction isn’t to shop there. But it’s more sustainable, frugal, and creates jobs for some of the most disenfranchised in the community. That’s a win-win-win, and it doesn’t cost us $80, $90, or $100.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with supporting companies that share your values. But know that this is a marketing trick, and when you choose VW or Patagonia after seeing that advertisement, it’s worked. They got you.

Filed Under: Social Justice Tagged With: ads, advertising, Anticonsumption, Clothing, Consumption, Marketing, Materialism, Patagonia

Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling 1 Comment

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Reading Nook Photo

Every week I like to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eyes. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

Household Finances Still Fragile Six Years After the Recession by Gillian White
The Great Recession still lingers on. Many households are resisting purchases because of inconsistent and variable incomes. Paychecks that vary each time make it difficult to predict safe spending. It’s leading the most affected to hold back more than ever.

This Is What Sweden’s Most Statistically Sought-After Home Looks Like by Kristin Hohenadel
This brilliant design firm has constructed the “perfect” house. Based on surveys and data from Swedish residents, this minimal, utilitarian home is what most would like. The floorplans are open, with lots of natural light. But the best part is the effective use of space.

How to live a middle-class life in New York City on less than $5,000 a year by Pauline Marie Bock
This semi-anonymous, French freegan is living in New York City on an insane, impressively frugal budget: $5,000 a year. She hustles to find the shops and spots where good food is being wasted — thrown away unnecessarily. From bagels to beans to fruits, “Marie” has found countless free meals.

This Season’s Must-Haves by Brooke McAlary
From beautiful new colors to shapes, clothing changes every season. For many, it’s a clarion call to action: shop to you drop. Brooke has an amazing twist on this season’s must-haves. You must read this one!

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: articles, Class, Clothing, Frugal, housing, Minimalism, Recession, Sweden, week

Frugal Articles of the Week

By Frugaling Leave a Comment

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Reading Nook Photo

Every week I like to feature a few frugal articles that caught my eyes. Curl up in your favorite reading nook and enjoy. Hopefully these encourage you to live frugal lives!

This millennial yurt is nicer than my apartment by Nitasha Tiku
The yurt. It’s a bizarre, unique, and pretty cool testament to simple living. The round base and slanted ceilings provide space for a terrific home. In this article, a young couple shares their decision to do more with less, while being environmentally conscientious.

8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day by Joshua Becker
There’s a growing theme in the minimalist community on uniforms and standard wear. Frankly, I’m loving this new movement. It’s simple, better for the environment, and helps people focus on what’s most important.

Burdened With Debt, Law School Graduates Struggle in Job Market by Elizabeth Olson
Plenty of articles have highlighted the oversaturation of those with law degrees; yet, the talent pool is busier than ever. Jobs, unfortunately, are still very hard to find. One sad soul now has over $300,000 in student loan debt between undergraduate and graduate school. With a rough job market, it’s hard to imagine how debt can ever be paid off completely.

Want a Steady Income? There’s an App for That by Anand Giridharadas
It’s difficult budgeting and accounting for how much you can spend each month when you have a variable income. This fluctuation is a hallmark characteristic of construction workers, freelancers, and self-starters. One company is aiming to help people navigate the good and bad financial times.

Filed Under: Save Money Tagged With: app, articles, Budget, Clothing, Finances, Frugal, law school, Simple Living, weekly

5 Lessons From Minimizing My Wardrobe

By Frugaling 20 Comments

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5 Lessons From Minimizing My Wardrobe. The day has come to minimize my wardrobe. After much delay and caution, I eliminated tens of items from my closet and feel lighter than ever!

I’ve been aching to clear out my closet and see what can be minimized, but I’ve constantly repeated, “I’ve got more important things to do!” Well, today is the day to clean out the unnecessary, unworn, ripped, tattered, and otherwise useless. Spring is here, and now it’s time to find some clothing to donate or throw out!

I’m a rather failing minimalist. Life circumstances (being a graduate student) require that I keep ungodly numbers of papers for years. In an effort to minimize the clutter and paper space, I’ve scanned and digitized everything I can. The rest — what must be held for safe keeping — goes under the bed.

Clothing can’t be moved or digitized, and space must be occupied. While I have ample room in my apartment, there isn’t much “storage.” I don’t have any furniture (i.e., bureaus, dressers, etc.), either. Every time I look in my closet, I’m reminded of the unorganized mass I own. After many weeks contemplating, I decided this would be the day to really review what I have, and decide, In or Out?

Before I review the photos and take you on a little tour of what’s left, I want to explain some rules that informed my choices:

1. While minimal, I haven’t moved to uniforms; thus, multiple outfits remain

2. I’ve trained and run two marathons (and plan on more), which require athletic clothing

3. I don’t like multinational brand names stamped across my chest

4. I won’t replace or buy more clothing by reviewing and donating excess

5. Furniture could help make it look more minimal, but see rule 4

Review socks
Review socks
Review boxers
Review boxers
Review shirts
Review shirts
Review pants
Review pants
Review athletic gear
Review athletic gear
Review hangers
Review hangers
In or out?
In or out?

 

 

Clearing out and reviewing all your clothes is rather time consuming. The first thing I did was wash everything dirty and prep it for the preceding photos. Afterwards, I grabbed my box o’ socks and box o’ undies, and dumped them out. Pair by pair I reviewed for stains, holes, and other unmentionables. I eliminated 8 pairs of worn out or otherwise mangled socks, and 2 stray socks (inevitably lost to the magic of the washing machine). From the boxers, there were 5 that were in total disrepair — waistband wasted. Out they went!

Then, I moved to tee, long-sleeve, and collared shirts. Despite advocating for a more minimal life, I found it hard to let go and/or donate some of my more sentimental — however aged — clothing. The soft texture and wild memories of concert tees were the hardest to rule over. Images of dancing, friends, former girlfriends, and everything in between seemed stained into the shirts. In the end, those with massive pit discolorations were thrown out. Although, I couldn’t help but keep a couple for sentimental purposes (and I wear them frequently). One collared shirt was a big no-no, as it featured a brand I no longer wish to advertise across my chest nor support.

Two pairs of jeans unfortunately needed to go. I had wiped out on my bicycle in one of them, and they no longer met professional work standards. The other had started out as skinny jeans and were quickly shrinking into leggings. I’m not sure if that’s a consequence of weight gain or the dryer; let’s go with the latter option.

My wonderful mother insisted I take a bed protector with me, and I’ve had it for quite some time — unused. I’m not opposed to fitted protectors, but this one is loose. Invariably, it crumples up into an awkward ball in my bed and messes up the fitted sheets. No, it was time to be rid of that stinky old “protector.”

Extra hangers? Out!
Extra hangers? Out!
Halloween costume? Out.
Halloween costume? Out.
Old boxers? Out!
Old boxers? Out!
Lint? Out!
Lint? Out!
Old bed protector? Out!
Old bed protector? Out!
In
In
In
In
Donations to charity!
Donations to charity!

 

 

Despite being an avid runner, I owned too many shirts. Each race you run, there’s a new shirt. Nobody needs this many athletic shirts. I was able to get rid of 3 shirts and one pair of shorts. While they weren’t in bad shape, I’m hoping someone else can enjoy them — I have plenty.

This little In or Out experiment netted 28 items. Those items will either be donated or thrown away. Additionally, I was able to take out 14 hangers from my closet (bringing the total to 42)! Now, it’s easier to get at what I want, as opposed to fighting back and forth to get jeans and a t-shirt. There’s room again, which feels fantastic.

The following are 5 lessons learned in the process of eliminating the unnecessary from my wardrobe:

1. Sentimentality is piqued by things, but inspired by brains

Humans are inherently pulled to place energy and emphasis in things. We name cars, put stickers on everything, and place creative cases on phones, all with the desire to make something nice and unique. Our things get special treatment. They become a time capsule and place to store our memories. It’s important to remember that those mental images are within us — not in things.

2. Clearing out old clothing is therapeutic

What seems to be a chore at first is rather calming as you go along. There’s a routine: open, dump, review, decide in or out. That’s all there is to minimizing your wardrobe. In the calm of a weekend day, it can be a meditative task to focus on the here and now.

3. My nice things might be necessary things to another

I have ample clothing, even after minimizing some. What helped me decide to donate a couple more items are other people. It helped to focus on them. The “nice” stuff that I rarely — if ever — use could be immensely helpful and necessary for another person or family. I’m not just removing stuff from my closet and tossing it, as I want some of these things to have better owners.

4. It’s embarrassing what we keep around or forget to throw out

I don’t know how 2 stray socks slowly buried their way into the bottom of my box o’ socks, but they did. I probably wouldn’t have noticed for a couple years, if I didn’t engage in this cleanse. Also, the Halloween costume from a couple years ago? Yeah, no need to keep that around.

5. Minimizing your wardrobe takes far less time than you think

I procrastinated for weeks about getting rid of extra clothing. I didn’t want to let go of anything, and felt like I had more important things to accomplish. In some ways, I did, but that was also a tool to delay the inevitable. Now, the day of reckoning is here and complete. My closet looks way better. In reality, what I thought would take hours only took one. One and done to be lighter than ever.

Filed Under: Minimalism Tagged With: Charity, closet, Clothes, Clothing, Consumer, donate, jeans, minimal, Minimalism, Shirts, socks, Wardrobe

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