Dive Brief:

• Allbirds on Monday announced it will raise prices on Black Friday rather than offering deals, according to a company press release.

• On the banner sales day, Allbirds will raise prices across its entire collection by $1, donating the extra dollar, and an additional $1 matched by Allbirds, to Greta Thunberg's youth-led climate movement Fridays for Future. 

• "Black Friday deals may satiate momentary desire, but their impact on the planet is a lot more long-lasting," the company said, noting this approach doubles down instead on sustainability.

Dive Insight:

It was always going to be a different Black Friday, in a year that's been dominated by a global health crisis. Allbirds is taking it a step further by positioning itself against the consumerist holiday and asking customers to "Pay it to the Planet" instead.

The DTC footwear brand isn't the only one to distance itself from the shopping holiday's deals-based ethos. Patagonia in 2016 announced it would donate all proceeds from the shopping day to grassroots environmental organizations and REI is in the sixth year of its Black Friday #OptOutside campaign, in which the retailer closes its stores and pays employees to take the day off and spend it outside. 

In announcing this year's continuation of #OptOutside, REI highlighted the greater importance that the outdoors has taken on during the pandemic, as one of the few places where gathering is safer. Allbirds, too, sees special significance in taking a stand this year, noting that the pandemic "has pulled back the curtain on the fashion industry and has revealed its gluttonous 'more is more' mindset, resulting in stockpiled inventory and even surplus bonfires."

The company has, from the start, positioned itself against the traditional practices of apparel and footwear manufacturing and called on other companies to introduce more sustainable business practices, including Amazon, when the company released a shoe similar in appearance to Allbirds' classic Wool Runner.

This ad campaign furthers those efforts and called on both businesses and consumers to follow suit.

"As a certified B Corp, we believe that business can be a force for good, and balancing purpose with profit is the future of commerce. To successfully tackle climate change, we need to collectively reduce our carbon impact and protect the earth's resources," the company said. "With a little more consciousness around how we consume, we can all tread lighter on the planet. What better time to start living a more balanced life than on Black Friday?"