‘Black Friday? Rubbish’: brand sends different message this sales period

The interest in Black Friday resurged this year as Australian consumers were expected to spend $6.2 billion over the four-day weekend, up $200 million on 2021, according to Roy Morgan. As lucrative as the opportunity was, some brands have decided to sit this one out, and made a point of doing so.

The idea of using a marketing campaign to address hyper-consumerism may sound paradoxical, but brands have made it work before: a stellar example being Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign launched in 2011 for Black Friday, encouraging people to think twice before making a purchase.

With multiple societal issues including the cost of living concerns and environmental footprints around mega sales events like Black Friday this year, a handful of Australian brands have decided to redirect their ad budget and potential sales revenue to convey a more sobering message.