The French government has launched a campaign encouraging people not to buy new clothes in Black Friday sales. The advert shows a man asking for advice in a shop before an assistant tells him not to buy anything, to help the planet and his finances. The minister for ecological transition - responsible for promoting sustainability - Christophe Béchu, is behind the campaign. But the message has been criticised by other government departments. Finance minister Bruno Le Maire called it "ill-conceived" and said it would harm "honest businesses". Le Maire's department been trying to tackle the rise in unemployment and the cost of living crisis - and seasonal sales are thought to put more money back into the economy. Black Friday, when retailers offer significant discounts and promotions, is one of the biggest shopping days of the year in many European countries. The campaign is one of a number of initiatives from Mr Béchu, who previously launched a "repair bonus" to encourage people to repair their existing clothes instead of buying new ones. From October the government has subsidised clothing and shoe repairs by giving people between €6 (£5) and €25 (£21) off the cost. The government has committed to contributing €154m to the repair bonus fund over the next five years.
