In October of 2023, renowned winter sport company Jones introduced their “Re-Up” initiative, which allowed customers to donate their old and unused snowboards to be recycled and reused to produce more snowboards. The purpose of this program is to cut down CO2 emissions that are released when snowboards are brought into landfills. The Re-Up program takes in any board from any company, uses “slow ocean freight” which emits the lowest amount of carbon among all transportation methods, and promises customers a $50 credit towards a brand-new snowboard. This program differs from the traditional ways of simply producing more equipment, while customers let their unused gear collect dust or dispose of it by way of harmful landfills. Jones also prioritizes longevity when designing their gear, wanting customers to get the absolute most out of their purchase before recycling it, a unconventional practice not adopted by a lot of other companies who’d rather their products have a sort of “shelf life”, where customers are almost forced to buy new equipment when there’s becomes unusable in a short amount of time.
“Jones”, a snowboard and other winter sport company was created in 2008 by Jeremy Jones from his “passion for snowboarding”. A focal point of Jones is the idea of setting the precedent for how snowboarding gear should be made, while also ensuring they achieve their goal in the most environmentally friendly way possible.
The image is very simple but is able to perfectly convey the message and its purpose. The image shows multiple snowboarders descending a mountain with the text above reading “Give Snowboards A Second Ride”, along with the “Re-Up” slogan, and finally the purpose of turning old unused boards into brand new ones. The ad perfectly describes what the purpose of this “initiative” is, as well as how they go about the process described on the bottom. The advertisement being very simple, conveying a group of riders, with the main points of the message being in large font is an effective way of sparking curiosity in the viewer. With everything and everyone nowadays trying to find any way to be more environmentally friendly, advertising a convenient and effective method to getting rid of gear is sure to spark interest in many.
I believe the target audience is of course snowboarders, as well as environmentally conscious people who have possibly brushed off their old boards and thought nothing of them after purchasing a new board. Allowing customers to donate unused boards of any kind to be recycled and reused while also being rewarded with the $50 voucher is not only a momentary gain in terms of money, but also a significant contribution to both other snowboarders and the environment in general. The advertisement could also be targeted to large retailers. When new equipment is released and thus put on shelves, old equipment is abandoned and disposed by way of harmful landfills. I’m not saying the company will get a ton of gift vouchers for donating boards, but rather encouraging that there are effective and sustainable methods to disposing of gear. In all, advertising to riders in a simple way that outlines how they go about the process as well as an excellent reason to donate gear and get rewarded for it could prove to be massively rewarding for both the customers and Jones as a whole.
The message of this advertisement is to encourage snowboarders to put old boards to good use and a good cause, reducing carbon emissions, and get rewarded for it. I think the slogan regarding “Give Snowboards A Second Ride” is an excellent pitch at persuading riders to at the very least consider donating their boards. Due to many snowboarders quickly moving on and ditching their old boards when a new one releases, or even basic performance issues and personal opinions, allowing riders to put old boards to a good cause while also contributing to sustaining the very environment that keeps their sport alive is a very effective method of convincing riders to donate. The message could also serve to spark new ideas of how companies and customers can deal with unused products and allow for similar practices to be used in the future.
This method of recycling and using the materials to create more boards for more riders is innovating and undoubtedly the future of how sports equipment should be made. Allowing people to trade in their old unused equipment should be the prime standard in manufacturing new equipment. With many companies today claiming they are environmentally conscious and prioritize nature over all else while still practicing harmful habits, Jones stands out as a true contributor to helping reduce emissions and practicing exactly what they advertise. Not just the initiative that is environmentally friendly, but the method as well of using the most conscious shipping method shows the absolute commitment to truly making a change.
Bibliography
“Our Story, Our Mission | Jones Snowboards.” n.d. https://www.jonessnowboards.com/content/155-our-story.
Misselwitz, Mike. 2023. “Jones Achieves Big First with ‘Re-Up’ Snowboard Recycling Program.” GearJunkie. October 24, 2023. https://gearjunkie.com/winter/snowboarding/jones-re-up-tech-snowboard-recycling-program.
“How to Go Circular with Your Gear | The Jones Journal.” n.d. https://www.jonessnowboards.com/content/532-repair-resell-upcycle-how-to-go-circular-with-your-gear.
Jayden
Peyton provided a detailed and well thought out analysis of Jones’ Re-Up initiative advertisement, in this advertisement he addresses greenwashing aspects and highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability. Peyton’s main points covered the introduction of the initiative in 2023, the $50 credit reward system, and the overall environmental impact approach of Jones. Peyton successfully emphasized the importance of recycling old snowboards to reduce carbon emissions and praised Jones for prioritizing longevity in gear design.
The analysis was well-constructed, but there was a lack of direct reference to scholarly sources or industry reports to validate claims or provide additional context, Due to its new initiative only being about a year old. I do believe adding such sources could strengthen the analysis and add more credibility to the statements about the impact of snowboard disposal on the environment and on the industry standards approach.
This advertisement somewhat critiqued the greenwashing aspects of the advertisement by pointing out that Jones sets a genuine example of sustainability, practicing what they advertise. However, they missed an opportunity to dive deeper into potential criticisms that may arise from implementing on a larger scale, such as consumer skepticism, or the overall ability to implement the recycling process.
Overall, Peyton presented a well-rounded critique, but the inclusion of scholarly sources and a deeper dive into the potential challenges could further the depth and credibility of this analysis.