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Patagonia’s catalogs are my favorite ads and might be one of the best forms of native advertising I have ever seen. The catalogs are full of color, showcase beautiful photos of nature (that could be in any hardback book), and include long-form stories about being outdoors. Without the ads, the catalogs could be issues of National Geographic. The photos provide the setting while the stories bring in the reader. In the next page over, the products are listed along with their features and prices. It’s a perfect way to get a consumer dreaming about being outdoors and then having the consumer think about what kind of equipment/clothing they might need.
Patagonia’s target audience is environmentally conscious affluent people who like being outdoors. They have disposable income and are willing to spend more on products they believe are better for the earth. That audience is also more likely to care about where they shop and what kind of message their clothing sends to other people. Patagonia’s products are not cheap
Patagonia has taken its message about the environment and went to extremes. It even so far to put out an ad stating “DON’T BUY THIS JACKET” in 2011. That controversial ad told people to consume less. That’s not a thing you would normally hear from a clothing company.
The catalogs and ads also resonate with me because I consider myself an environmentalist and I’m usually concerned about how much I consume or buy. Patagonia plays into that, selling expensive items that it says will last for a long time.
Originally published at http://anthonyrleong.wordpress.com on June 7, 2019.
