When Patagonia teamed up with Google to produce a video series celebrating the newly-designated national monument in Utah called Bears Ears, it didn’t realize the interactive project would become an advocacy platform.
But after the Utah legislature asked President Trump to rescind the National Monument designation, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard got involved, writing an open letter to the Utah Governor and the company pulled out of an outdoor trade show hosted in the state.
Due to these recent political efforts, what started as a celebration of public lands has now turned into a platform to help preserve them. Patagonia is working with indigenous leaders in Utah and launched a website and “interactive film experience” called This Is Bears Ears National Monument and is encouraging viewers to contact the Secretary of the Interior to tell him to defend Bears Ears’ national designation.
The company has even produced its first-ever television advertisement to promote their multimedia website, which showcases the culture, sporting activities and ways to protect the area.
