This Ad Made Millions by Telling Customers to Walk Away – Here’s Why

Reverse Psychology in Marketing (The Ad Strategy No One Talks About) + Ethical AI Marketing + Crazy Good AI Tools For SM Ads.

Quinn

Apr 01, 2025

Patagonia – “Don’t Buy This Jacket”.

Patagonia’s ad is a famous example of reverse psychology marketing.

Despite telling people not to buy, they saw a 30% revenue increase in the following years.

Playing ‘hard to get’ does make you more attractive and mysterious 😂

~Also in today’s issue~

Ethical AI usage:

As marketers/entrepreneurs, we need to ask ourselves:

Are we using AI to manipulate consumers, or are we using it to provide genuine value?

Branding with AI:

Got a design ready or looking to test things out?

See the best tools for your SM ads & organic posts.

Marketing + psychology
How to use AI ethically
🔥 Create realistic ads

Viral Moment

Published in The New York Times on Black Friday,

The ad urged consumers to reconsider unnecessary purchases, even for them.

Below, the environmental cost of producing the jacket, including the water, energy, and carbon footprint involved, is explained.

It encouraged customers to buy less, repair more, and only purchase when truly needed

—A crazy contrast to the consumerism of Black Friday!

Psychology in branding

Reverse Psychology & Ethical Marketing:

By discouraging sales, Patagonia built credibility, identifying as a purpose-driven brand.

Instead of reducing demand, the campaign increased it by attracting environmentally conscious consumers.

Copy Patagonia

Creating an ad like Patagonia’s requires a mix of Strong messaging + Brand values + Reverse psychology 🢛

🢚 Identify a strong, controversial Hook 🢛

Patagonia’s ad stood out because it contradicted traditional sales messaging.

Think of a counterintuitive statement that challenges industry norms.

For example, if you’re selling online courses, an ad could say

"This Course Won’t Make You Rich" and then explain the real effort needed for success.

🢚 Connect to a larger mission 🢛

Patagonia tied the message to sustaining the earth.

Identify your brand’s social purpose if you have one; if you don’t, make one.

🢚 Use Data & Real-World stats 🢛

Patagonia included data on water, energy, and carbon footprint to support its stance.

So, back up your claim with relevant statistics or real case studies.

For example

“80% of freelancers quit within the first year. Here’s how to be in the 20% who don’t.”

🢚 Offer a solution, not just Shock Value 🢛

No one likes a complainer…

Patagonia encouraged repairing, reusing, and thoughtful purchases instead of blind consumerism.

Your ad should lead into a product or service that aligns with the message!

🢚 Timing is everything 🢛

The ad ran on Black Friday, a day of excessive shopping.

Pick a high-impact moment (e.g., tax season for finance ads, New Year for self-improvement, Valentine).

🢚 Bonus 🢛

Emphasize purpose over profit.

Hit the ❤️ button if you’ve come this far

Key Take Away

Challenge industry norms
Use purpose-driven marketing
Reverse psychology sells

Prompt Template

Don’t sweat. Copy & paste into ChatGPT/other for your ad copy↯


I need an ad copy inspired by ads like Patagonia’s 'Don’t Buy This Jacket' campaign. The goal is to challenge conventional thinking, create intrigue, and reinforce my brand’s values. My business is [insert niche: coaching, SaaS, digital products, sustainable fashion, etc.]. The key message I want to communicate is [insert core idea: scarcity, quality over quantity, ethical consumption, etc.]. The tone should be [bold, thought-provoking, counterintuitive, educational]. Please generate 3-5 ad variations optimized for [platform: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, email, etc.], each with a strong hook, compelling body, and clear CTA.

PROMPT RESULTS EXAMPLE (Obviously remove or replace emojis)