Buy Nothing Day
Give yourself a day to experience the simple joys of life, and discover the thrill of finding new adventures without spending a penny.
Position your brand as anti-consumerism and sustainability-focused by promoting mindful living and experience-based value on Buy Nothing Day.
- Challenge: Share your best free/zero-spend adventure this Buy Nothing Day
- Sustainability spotlight: How brands can celebrate conscious consumption
- Throwback to what matters: Experiences over stuff—customer stories
Buy Nothing Day was founded in Vancouver, Canada by artist Ted Dave in September of 1992. It is celebrated on the Friday after American Thanksgiving (the day also infamously known as ‘Black Friday’).
It is considered a day for society to assess the overconsumption problem. It was not until 1997 that a lot of countries decided to move the date to the Friday following American Thanksgiving, i.e. Black Friday. This is one of the world’s busiest shopping dates, so holding it on this date obviously has a very symbolic meaning.
Anyone who has ever seen what happens in North America during the Black Friday sales understands all too well why it was high time that we take a step back and look at ourselves, our behavior, and contemplate the meaning of all of the Black Friday madness.
Soon after Buy Nothing Day was created, campaigns to have a similar day of reflection started appearing in the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, France, and Norway. More than 65 nations currently participate in it.
Adbusters, a company responsible for the inital promotion of Ted Dave’s idea for Buy Nothing Day, states that the day “isn’t just about changing your habits for one day” but “about starting a lasting lifestyle commitment to consuming less and producing less waste.”
There are a lot of different events and activities that take place on this date around the world. For example, in Rhode Island, the Buy Nothing Coat Exchange has been going on for around 20 years, and it is something that has spread to a lot of other places. For example, in Oregon, Utah, and Kentucky, there is a similar Winter Coat Exchange that happens on this date.