We Need MORE Sellouts

by Brad Rowen

We’ve all had the experience. It may be a musician, an out-of-the-way restaurant, or a favorite writer—the hidden gem that only we recognize, at least in our little circle. Then the wind shifts. Maybe a review gets written. And suddenly our diamond in the rough Is as ubiquitous as cubic zirconia. We saw it first, we struggle to slip into the conversation. We’ve been listening/dining/reading for years—but, alas, no one can hear over the flashbulbs going off, the forks clanking. So we wait in line with the rest of the jonhnnies come lately, and we try not to grumble loud enough for anyone to hear us.

That reaction, common as it is to all of us, doesn’t make a lot of sense, of course. And we know that, enough that we actually brand those we claim are the worst offenders with their own label: Hipster, preferably spelled with a scarlet H. There is irony everywhere in the argument. We Hipsters (and all of us are these days) might be described as seeking authenticity, albeit for the wrong reasons. We shun the commercialized, and, by making it more popular, inevitably build a market for it. We seem to rely on our interest in the uncool to make us cool; we like to be a step ahead, but only one, so that we will be astride the path when others follow.

Such is our concern for authenticity that when larger trends follow our natural inclinations, we spend far too much time worrying about motivations and not enough marveling about the results. We ought to be delighted. Bit by bit, the world looks more and more the way we want it to look.

Tesla recently took three hundred thousand preorders for its newest model, a $35,000 electric vehicle that travels 215 miles on a single charge. It would be easy to complain about Tesla’s motives. The orders totaled billions, after all. We could wish for cheaper, less stylish models. But of course, that would be missing the point. Whether these vehicles were purchased to be trendy, to be the first one on the block, or to impress a date to the prom, one thing is true: they are evidence that sustainability matters. It doesn’t make any difference whether it matters to a particular person; it clearly matters to the marketplace.

If that’s selling out—making a product that is more sustainable in order to win the love of millions—then we need more sellouts. We need products in all areas of our lives that offer improved function and performance while making less and less impact on our planet. At Paper Water Bottle, we believe that means products that are highly sustainable, while offering producers a strong platform for their brand, and giving consumers the premium user experience they want. That’s not selling out—that’s offering A Refreshing Alternative.