6 July 2025  The Sharing Economy: Access Over OwnershipThe idea of sharing resources is as old as human society—whether through bartering goods or borrowing tools from neighbors. What we now call the sharing economy began to gain momentum in the late 20th century, inspired by concepts like collaborative consumption. By the 1990s, peer-to-peer exchanges had moved online, making it easier than ever to trade, lend, or rent directly. Economic shifts, mobile technology, and a growing focus on sustainability helped accelerate the move from ownership to access.Still, the sharing economy doesn't depend entirely on digital tools. Offline models—like Freitag's in-store bag rentals—prove that sharing can flourish face-to-face, no app required. Travel Memories: A Bag, a Booklet, and a HashtagThe Swiss company Freitag—best known for its upcycled truck tarp bags—has added its own take to the sharing economy with Freitag Rent. Since June 25, 2025, travelers can rent the brand's largest backpack, the F512 Voyager, for short or extended trips.Digital media is indeed part of the experience—but not for renting itself. The rental process is refreshingly analog: interested users visit one of the selected Freitag stores (Vienna, Shanghai, Basel, Kyoto,...), choose a bag, and rent it directly on site. No online bookings, no shipping. The bag must also be returned to the same store. This return-to-origin system supports sustainability and simplicity, but also personal interaction with the Freitag team. The digital layer comes in after departure. Travelers are invited to post their journeys on Instagram using the hashtags #Freitagrent or #notmybag, or by tagging @freitaglab. These public entries form a loosely connected digital travelogue—voluntary and image-based. But the real travel log is analog. Each Freitag Rent bag includes a Travel Bag Diary—a booklet placed inside the bag. Before starting the trip, renters stamp the date and enter their destination. The rest of the pages are open for stories, sketches, or memories. There's no obligation to reveal personal details, no formal structure. One entry may document a car breakdown, another a vacation romance. Over time, the diary becomes a collective memoir of strangers connected by a single backpack. As Freitag writes on its website freitag.ch: "Each Freitag Rent bag can become a record of car breakdowns, vacation flirts and all the other wild and wonderful stuff that happens to the temporary owner." Image: The picture is one of the campaign visuals for Freitag Rent, available in select stores since June 25, 2025. Photo: © Philip Frowein. It features three individuals—a senior man, a young man, and a young woman—each in a different global setting, all carrying the same striking blue travel bag. The backdrops range from an urban skyline to a bustling pedestrian crossing and a snowy mountain landscape. A bold orange banner with the slogan 'YOUR JOURNEY. YOUR STORY. NOT YOUR BAG.' runs across the entire scene, underscoring the idea of a bag that passes from person to person, collecting experiences along the way. |