Internet raises awareness of No Buying Day

LONDON (Brand Republic) – The internet is said to have increased international awareness of No Buying Day in spite of US television networks’ refusals to carry advertisements promoting the event.

No Buying Day takes place in the US today -– the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year –- and is scheduled in the UK and Europe for tomorrow, the last Saturday in November.

The aim of the event, started in the US in 1993, is to discourage people from spending on non-essential consumer goods.

The event was first publicised on the internet in 1995 and since then it has developed into a global event. It was held in 30 countries in 1999, rising to 45 this year.

Founder Kalle Lasn, who also founded the Vancouver-based magazine Adbusters, hoped to reach consumers by advertising on major US TV networks.

However, he found stations were reluctant to carry the commercials. “The day is in opposition to the current economic policy of the United States”, a CBS spokesperson told Adbusters.

Ads was eventually shown on CNN after the network was threatened by an embarrassing story in the Wall Street Journal.

The ad copy states, “The average North American consumes five times more than a Mexican, 10 times more than a Chinese person and 30 times more than a person from India.

“We are the most voracious consumers in the world. Give it a rest. November 24 is Buy Nothing Day.”

This article was first published on brandrepublic.com