Posted on March 26, 2006
The age-old adage “actions speak louder than words” rings true for Abercrombie & Fitch’s marketing style. Mike Jefferies, the CEO of A&F, is obsessed with success, and with projecting an ideological and elite image of his clothing brand to college-aged young adults. In an article titled “Abercrombie and Fitch: Come shop in our dungeon,” printed in Maclean’s magazine, Jefferies said, “We want to market to cool, good-looking people, we don’t market to anyone other than that.”
Jefferies wishes to promote a masculine, rugged, athletic image of the classic American male and a sophisticated but sexy image of the classic American female. In a way he wants the ideology A&F projects to turn away those who can’t wholly buy into this image. Jefferies once said “people who are intimidated are not our customers.”
Jefferies has strived to make the presentation of A&F stores almost as perfect as A&F models. The stores are saturated with the smell of A&F signature cologne, specific (and mostly extra-small) clothing sizes are displayed, and the employees are physically up to par with A&F models themselves. Employees are termed “models,” so A&F can excuse its discriminatory hiring practices. These “models” are usually ideal-looking white young adults. If A&F does hire a minority employee, he or she usually has to work in the back of the store, out of sight from the customers. Despite the $40 million class-action suit brought against A&F for discriminating against minorities or overweight people, A&F says there is nothing wrong with hiring people that reflect the elite image of A&F, and will continue to do so.
A&F commercials are scarcely aired; when they are, they leave the viewer perplexed, and wondering just what a group of scantily-clad bronzed and buff models playing football on a beach have to do with promoting a clothing line.
The company did print a quarterly magazine that was sold to those over 18 in its stores, but the magazine was discontinued in 2003 because of the uproarious controversy its publication received. The magazine showcased nearly, if not wholly, naked models in salaciously suggestive scenes. The pages containing A&F’s clothing came second to the risqué pages that featured sadomasochistic spreads, group and oral sex. The magazine was only discontinued after it was furiously opposed by an unlikely alliance of women’s rights and religious organizations, feminists, and political activists. It’s a wonder how such off-color content could be printed in the first place.
Advertising has always featured beautiful men and women, because companies wish to make their product as appealing as possible. The problem is, while A&F advertising certainly contains beautiful men and women, they are often lacking the product, or even a point to their advertisement. Some tragically misinformed individual is going to be disappointed when they enter an A&F store and see that there are no rugged male models on the shelves.
At the beginning of this year, A&F claimed its fourth- quarter net income as more than $198 million. Obviously, it’s doing something right.
It’s a shame that we have bought into this type of exclusivity. Whether you buy the clothes for their “perfect” fit, or enjoy indulging in this exclusivity, you have to wonder if A&F is selling seduction, nudity and ideal body types instead of a retail clothing brand.
Anna Young is a freshman sociology and SMAD major.
