Tokyo: Pass the baton

Infusing brands with stories, core values and messages is pretty common. The Louis Vuitton ‘personal journeys’ campaign, featuring the likes of Sean Connery and Muhammad Ali is a good case in point. In one ad of the series, Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the last leader of the old Soviet Union, sits in a limousine as it passes a remaining part of the Berlin Wall, an open Louis Vuitton bag beside him. Recycled goods also have their stories and that is what Pass the Baton, a Tokyo retailer and charity platform operating in Shibuya since 2009, aims to preserve and leverage. Each of the goods listed with Pass the Baton is tagged with a personal story, so you know how many miles were already walked in that old pair of shoes you aim to buy. Fifty percent of the proceeds go back to the seller, who can elect to keep, or designate the destination of the donation, from the following seven categories: eco, kids, food, green, art, sports, and emergency support. The simple act of buying has become a way to contribute. “Creating something new is a wonderful thing, but taking good care of an object that is already there can be magical. Old ways, current personal values, and future treasures for someone new”. Pass on the personal culture, pass the baton.