It’s not often that I reblog a post, but I was planning to write about this very subject, and I don’t think I could do any better than this from The Knitting Goddess.
Not So Innocent Little Hats
Posted by The Snail of Happiness on October 9, 2017
https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2017/10/09/not-so-innocent-little-hats/
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Wild Daffodil
/ October 9, 2017Thanks for sharing this Jan. Very well put.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 9, 2017It’s something that irks me every year and I’m sure that the people who contribute, in good faith, don’t really think it through. I’d much rather knit something that will actually be used than simply knit landfill. It’s really all a marketing scheme for Cocacola.
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lucylawrencedesigns
/ October 9, 2017I’ve *liked* this blog post because I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. I didn’t know Innocent was owned by coca cola.
Those numbers are shocking!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 9, 2017Aren’t they just? I think that Innocent keep very quiet about their parent company and most people assume that they are still the company that they originally were.
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thecontentedcrafter
/ October 9, 2017Well, that was interesting – what new form of madness is this! I had a little rant too 🙂
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 9, 2017It makes me cross every year… especially because I’m sure that knitters get sucked in without realising what’s actually going on. My policy is that if I want to knit for charity, I find out what is actually needed and make that thing then give it to the charity concerned. And it I have a random ‘thing’ I send it to Knit for Peace, who work with lots of charities and can always find good homes for donations… although probably not tiny hats for plastic bottles!
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quietwatercraft
/ October 9, 2017I’d never thought of any of this. What a terrible waste it is
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 9, 2017I think that’s it’s easy to get seduced by what appears to be a ‘good cause’. The answer is to support charities directly… if they want knitted items, they will have details available and you can make to fulfil a real need.
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katechiconi
/ October 9, 2017I agree. It’s just a massive self-publicising effort by Innocent. I’d be more impressed if they simply gave the money and stopped the waste: of time, of effort, of donor generosity, of lovingly made little hats that just get thrown away…
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2017My feelings exactly
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The Rock Vandal
/ October 9, 2017Totally uncool! Thanks for sharing on the Coca Cola bit…this is shady business, soaking up Knitters creativity and generosity…all for a quarter. Thats rude!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2017I’d love all the creativity to be directed to something more positive – which would be easy to achieve
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nanacathy2
/ October 9, 2017I wrote about this last year when I wondered if I would have been better off donating the money straight to Age uk raher than knitting hats. I missed the campaign to knit them this year, but have actually paid hard cash for one. Needless to say I have kept the hat.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2017I think you are probably the exception!
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Mags
/ October 9, 2017A real eye-opener! Thanks for this.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2017Superficially the idea sounds so good, but the more you think about it, the more it seems like a cynical marketing ploy by Coca-Cola. Us knitters are better than that!
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Mags
/ October 10, 2017Hear hear!
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crawcraftsbeasties
/ October 10, 2017I agree with Kate up there… The whole thing is just a big marketing gimmick. Little hats on bottles get a lot more attention than just donating a lump sum would. Oh, and to add another layer of ridiculousness – those hats don’t put themselves on the bottles, do they? So that must mean there’s either a dedicated hat-putting-on machine in every bottling plant (unlikely) or Innocent also need to pay people to dress their smoothies!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 10, 2017Yes, I hadn’t thought about who puts the hats on the bottles.
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