A vending machine in Berlin was selling a €2 (about $2.19) t-shirt to shoppers. At this throw away price, it is expected that there would be queues of buyers outside the venue. But no one bought it. Strange isn’t it?
Though there were people flocking to the machine to benefit from the bumper sale, when they saw the catch, however, they changed their minds. But why did they turn away?
In order to buy the €2 t-shirt, shoppers had to first watch a video which showed shocking images of the production conditions that went into creating the t-shirt by people who made those tees – the exploited under-age sweatshop laborers who worked for up to 16 hours a day for as little as 13 cents an hour.
“People want fashion at a bargain but would they still buy it if they knew how it was made? Meet Manisha, one of millions making our cheap clothing for as little as 13 cents an hour each day for 16 hours,” reads the video. Then the question “Do you still want to buy this €2 t-shirt?” flashes up on the screen, followed by the options “buy” and “donate”.
When the shoppers were confronted with the reality, not surprisingly, most chose to donate to the cause instead of supporting the cheap labor.
The video was released on Fashion Revolution Day which commemorates the collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh in 2013 that killed more than 1,000 garment workers who had been making clothing in unsafe conditions for American brands like J.C. Penney, Benetton, and Walmart.
“We’re not asking people to boycott their favorite stores, we need to change the fashion industry from within by asking the brands and retailers where we like to shop ‘Who made my clothes?’ Consumers didn’t cause this problem, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be part of the solution,” Fashion Revolution Day founder Carry Somers told Marie Claire.
Watch! We all want a bargain, but this #FashRev video proves we care about the people #whomademyclothes! http://t.co/aUaOWjzXg5 v @youtube
— Sasstainable (@Sasstainable) May 7, 2015
T-Shirt just 2 Euros… But behind it, you’ll see a painful feeling. http://t.co/YN5iYaT9XH — Idris Ardi Pradana P (@ardtrn) May 4, 2015
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Social experiment? There is nothing even slightly experimental about this. There is no given sample, no recorded variables, no control group, nothing. It is a way to spread a message, which is rather clever, but it is NOT and experiment.
The experiment is to see if people will support the cruel production company [buy the shirt] or support ending such cruelty [donating to the cause]. It says that most people end up donating. But, yes, this is also a message.
Those are the qualifications of a scientific experiment. There are other types of experiments. Here is one definition of an experiment.
noun
1.
a test, trial, or tentative procedure; an act or operation for the purpose of discovering something unknown or of testing a principle, supposition, etc.
See it doesn’t need those things you said.
*sigh* There’s always one in every comment board.
Bye Felicia.
Id buy it. After all, she’s already made it, the least we can do is get her paid. Would you rather pay someone in China or America or Russia to make a shirt and pay them 10.00 (dollars euros pecos etc.) and then have to pay 30.00 dollars for a shitty tshirt or just pay the 2 euros and let the girl atleast eat who made the damn thing?
If you watch the video again you’ll realize two options are given. You can either buy the shirt, or donate the money. If you buy the shirt the money probably wouldn’t get back to her, but donating the money probably would.
I’d personally like to purchase one for every McDonalds employee that thinks they deserve $15/hr… but back on topic… these are made in third world countries where this is just how life goes… I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but, you don’t by the shirt, they don’t get anything… no food in their belly, and if they don’t go work for they’re 13 cents an hour, their parents probably beat them… Not everyone has the luxury of a rented flat, or the american dream 3 bedroom house… The problem with the world is that instead of actually learning what the word culture means, everyone thinks life should just be a certain way, and that’s no different than belive that a 1 dollar bill printed on cloth paper is worth $1…
2 contradictive statements:
– “People want fashion at a bargain […]”
– “Consumers didn’t cause this problem”
Of course they did. Well, for the greater part, that is.
Greedy fashion tycoons would move to ‘cheaper’ countries anyway, but the consumer, wanting it all for the lowest price, helped speeding up this process.
in developing countries this could be a source of livelihood, this is a progressive development today it may sound like cheap labour tomorrow the country will be richer driving the basic salary higher with this living standards will become better.
it has its pros and cons but wanting cheaper clothes creates market activity.
Way to go. Lets not buy cheap clothes, so we shut down the factories! Woohoo. That way, we can take away the only economic activity these poor people have, and send them back to starve in the countryside! Well done. Cheers to you.
One thing is forget on that idea, nice one from the start yes,
But whit an montly budjet aroud 70 euro for food on the table,
that amout is wheyre y cut for wen y need pant or anithing in my
back, 2 euro shirt is one day whitout food on my plate, how many
are whitout tv, telephone of any kind, a old use computer and comunal
internet is my biggest luxurie, only acces to new and the world.
Social thinking y am for its, that includ localy too.