The down side: Patagonia makes its puffy jackets with traceable feathers

US – Patagonia has released a new video on the dark tale of down – the feathers used for its signature puffy jackets – and its often unethical source.

In the animation, by Geoff McFetridge, viewers follow a goose who happily skis the slopes in his down jacket before being carried to a farm, where he witnesses force-feeding, live plucking and the slaughtering of his brethren. Although down is a by-product of the meat industry – these are geese raised for slaughter – the inhumane practices of live plucking, which causes stress to the animals, and force-feeding, the controversial method for fattening geese for foie gras, are not always the norm. 

In 2010, when animal welfare organisation Four Paws accused Patagonia of receiving down from farms that performed such practices, the brand issued a mea culpa and in 2013 said it was making the move to 100% traceable down. This autumn Patagonia has released its first line of traceable down clothing. The video is accompanied by a microsite by Patagonia, which enables consumers to trace every stage their down goes through to ensure that consumers can be confident that their clothing comes from animals that have not been treated cruelly.

The advertising, despite its animated form, is a strong visual statement about what happens at other farms. Patagonia’s use of Scare Marketing tactics is a smart way to show how its products are better. For more, read our Scare Marketing microtrend.