Patagonia Clothing Labels Contain Secret Political Messages
The Claim
Leading up to the 2020 election, Patagonia included secret political messages on their clothing labels that said, “VOTE THE ASSHOLES OUT.”
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Emerging story
Last September, just two months before the U.S. presidential election, a photo went viral of a Patagonia clothing tag that said, “VOTE THE ASSHOLES OUT.” The photo is recirculating again because of a recent Los Angeles Times article about corporate activism.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's investigation has verified that the tags are real. Patagonia sewed the statement, “VOTE THE ASSHOLES OUT” on tags inside their limited edition Road to Regenerative Stand Up Shorts last year. Corley Kenna, the brand's director of public relations, confirmed this in a September interview with Esquire, adding that the shorts sold out immediately.
The message "refers to politicians from any party who deny or disregard the climate crisis and ignore science," founder Yvon Chouinard told CNN. Patagonia has a long-standing reputation for its activism, which is also a significant part of its brand. They once produced an ad campaign that encouraged consumers to buy less on Black Friday, and sued former President Trump over his plans to shrink a Utah natural reserve. After a 1990 donation to Planned Parenthood incited boycotts and angry phone calls, the company decided to donate an additional five dollars for every call they received.
While these kinds of political statements may alienate some consumers, the LA Times article released this week describes how taking a stand has actually strengthened their brand, and bolstered sales. While many companies choose to remain neutral regarding political issues, the article claims that Patagonia’s strategy seems to appeal to the rise of conscious capitalism. Brand strategists also say that controversy can often be advantageous.
The slogan “VOTE THE ASSHOLES OUT” was also printed on t-shirts long before it was written on the shorts’ tags. Though Kenny says that they’re not sure if they’ll ever manufacture more shorts with the slogan, sometimes they show up secondhand on ebay.
