Apparently Abercrombie & Fitch thinks Jersey Shore is bad for their image. I know, I know. The company that straddles that dividing line between child porn and ads is somehow offended by the cast of Jersey Shore wearing their clothes.
"We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans. We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response."
I cannot tell if they are seriously ticked off or if this is a publicity ploy. I will tell you that if any of the cast looked like 14 year old kids, A&F would have them half naked in a catalog or greeting people at entrances in a second. I just think because the cast is older and not that attractive that A&F does not want them.
What are they offering them, exactly? I feel like we're missing something.
ReplyDeleteA&F should be paying them for all the free marketing they're getting from their clothes being on t.v. Or maybe they saw what happened with Affliction(sp) and don't want that to happen to them.
I've never seen the show, but shouldn't the Jersey cast have a right to wear what they want? Some shows blur out brand names on clothes, maybe that will help?
ReplyDeleteOr A&F gave them free clothes to begin with...I smell a conspiracy
I think it's hilarious. I especially love the statement "...contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand..." Ummm, what? I think that A&F aspires for their customers to look like skanks and douches... I would think Jersey Shore would be right up their alley.
ReplyDeleteMeh, this from a company with the most segregated advertising I have ever seen. I think they may use one Black/light skinned Latin model every 4-5 years just to appease the masses. They never get my business.
ReplyDeleteThink they are just trying to get their name out there again,maybe people aren't paying enough attention any more to their use of young teens posing in barely any clothes. Which is odd when you think of it. They are trying to sell clothes after all, you'd think they'd want to models to wear some...
ReplyDeleteI applied for a summer job at A&F after my first year at college. I had already worked at The GAP and The Limited, and wanted a different retail environment. Bless my heart, honestly.
ReplyDeleteSome dumbass blonde chick with CORNROWS and fake tits flat-out informed about twenty of us during a group interview that their company policy is to ONLY hire people between the ages of 18-22, and that you have to be involved in the Greek system somehow.
I chuckled, got up, walked out, strolled down the mall corridor, and told The GAP I was ready to work for them again.
Also, when I worked at The GAP, I noticed a binder in my manager's office one day called "Ideal GAP Employees." It was literally a series of headshots of attractive people -- but, uh, at least there were some different ethnicities tossed in there?
At any rate, FUCK this store. As if their raggedy, threadbare, overpriced shit is SO much better than the garish Ed Hardy crap those JS skanks wore constantly last season.
Word to the wise: if you're looking for brand name stuff, GO TO GOODWILL. Why pay 90 bucks for a pair of jeans you can *surely* find for $3.50? Seriously.
I didn't even know A&F still EXISTED! It was popular and "cool" when I was in high school...but that was 10 years ago. They've been failing for a long tim, and now they want to exclude an entire group of people as well (real-life Jersey Shore types)? God, they're just as douchey as they market their brand to be. Bravo, Abercrombie. You're still irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteSTFU A&B.....I hope you fall off your publicity bandwagon and break your collective skulls...I'm getting so sick of corporations and their bullshit.
ReplyDeleteWell the Jersey Shore part is funny, but the bra is in plain bad taste.
ReplyDeleteI hope the entire casts decks themselves out in their crap!
ReplyDeletelol i so want to highlight cut/paste everything that Ida said and send it to this boy who I was seeing for awhile because he worked as manager at A&F for a few years, even did a modeling gig for them for holiday (maybe 2000?)
ReplyDeletebut i have the cops keeping him away from me right now. that would be bad to contact him LOL
My best friend was a manager at A&F and was given specific instructions to only hire attractive people. If someone came in who wasn't attractive enough, she was told to look if they had small hands, because small hands fold better and they could work in the stock room as folders.
ReplyDeleteAfter I heard that, I was done with them forever.
I think maybe the blogger is getting confused between Abercrombie & Fitch and American Apparel. American Apparel is well-known for being skeezy in terms of the models they pick for adverts (because they look like they are children). Maybe I am wrong, but I am pretty sure A&F uses regular models for advertising...
ReplyDelete@Julie -- if you tell me his name is Chad, I will shit my pants. I think I dated that same guy! :-)
ReplyDelete@KLM -- I have a pal who used to work for American Apparel out in L.A. and she's had first-hand experience dealing with their lecherous CEO. They ALSO use Terry Richardson to photograph their campaigns, if I'm not mistaken. I find their clothes beyond ugly, anyway -- like cheaper, saggier versions of everything you'd find in an Urban Outfitters.
But Abercrombie markets slutty clothing to CHILDREN -- skimpy bikinis and whatnot -- and I think that's what Enty was talking about.
@Ida - yuck!! I wish I had known that earlier! I keep buying my 15 year old niece and 12 year old nephew A&F gift cards because they told me that's what all the kids were wearing these days. Guess I'll have to revise that - both of their birthdays are coming up. What to do, what to do... I guess Gap cards are pretty safe, right?
ReplyDelete@KLM -- Goodwill sells gift certificates! I know because I got, like, three of them for Christmas last year. :-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously. After I found a North Face fleece jacket, a Gucci tie, AND a Versace shirt at local thrift shops, I decided to shun those mall stores forever. Eff 'em.
But I know that most kids like stuff that's shiny and new and hilariously expensive. I remember being sixteen or so and being psyched after blowing my whole entire paycheck at, say, Pacific Sunwear. *smh*
I get my 11-12 y/o niece stuff from Bench. She almost passes out everytime she gets something.
ReplyDelete@Ida - yeah, I wish I could get them Goodwill gift certificates, except I would need to be their to see their little jaws hit the floor. Materialistic doesn't begin to cover it, but then, I suppose I was (ugh, and still am) a sucker for name brands!!
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ReplyDeleteLauren - that is CRAZY.
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ReplyDeleteI live in Canada and to be totally honest, most of my nicest clothing has come from Value Village or The Salvation Army stores. Stuff I could never afford at the stores they were originally purchased at.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was loosing weight I started shopping there because there was no point in spending money on jeans that wouldn't fit me in a few months, now I am hooked!
A&F and their godawful CEO are absolutely apalling. I think Jezebel runs an article a week about some new asshattery they've gotten up to.
ReplyDeleteI think it a publicity ploy. They once did a shirt that said "the Fitchuation."
ReplyDeleteI'm just grateful for someone who is willing to call A&F out on their child porn ... I mean ... clothing ads. Disgusting company. They totally lost me with the "beastiality" campaign.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it reported last year (maybe here at CDAN) that luxury purse makers were sending Snooki designer purses made by their rivals so Snooki wouldn't be photographed with their own bags?
ReplyDeleteMango, yes. The rumour was Louis Vuitton was sending Snooki Gucci purses. They were doing it quietly and not putting out a press release about it. And I think (if it's true) it's brilliant.
ReplyDeleteDammit, now I want to ask him if he knows this Chad dude lol
ReplyDeleteHe lived in Pittsburgh at the time, that's all I know hah
Ida - Quiet down! Seriously!! If you get people going down to Goodwill all the good stuff will be gone. Please, for the love of fashion, and my budget, quiet down!!
ReplyDeleteI now have that song stuck in my head...by that three letter boy band..."I like girls who wear Abercrombie & Fitch"...*L* AND NOW IT'S IN YOUR HEAD TOO!!! You're welcome!
ReplyDeleteI want to be able to shop at Value Village and other thrift stores, but I can't bring myself to do it. The SMELL in those stores. *whispers* the smell...
This coming from the same company that markets padded bikini tops to 9 yos? BLAH.
ReplyDelete@Maja -- "Chinese food makes me sick..."
ReplyDeleteUgh. You're evil. You know that?
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUU! :-)
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ReplyDeleteThe guy who founded/owns A&F (Les Wexner) lives here in Columbus, Ohio. Well, more accurately, he built his own little chi chi "city" on the east side of Columbus--it's super expensive and tacky in that peculiar nouveau riche way. Anyway, when a friend of mine first moved to town for his current job, he lived in an apartment complex where Wexner houses all of the male models for A&F. My friend said it was like living in a frat--there's a neverending pool party/barbeque, all the men are young, (body)hairless, drunk, and stoopid, and most of them aren't interested in girls anyway so nyah.
ReplyDeleteAs for the advertising, yeah, I agree they are pretty gross, but have any of you seen the ads for American Apparel? They are truly atrocious. All of the models look like bulimic Eastern European thirteen year-olds with daddy issues. I mean, they advertise on the back cover of one of our weekly "alternative" newspapers, and I always have to fold the damn thing some funky way because I don't want anyone to think I'm carrying around kiddie porn. The company must have gotten a lot of complaints, though, because they recently start putting little biographical synopses about the models in the photos (e.g., ("Lauren is a twenty year-old chemistry student at UC Santa Cruz who loves dancing and making pottery."). Blergh.
DOH! Sorry, KLM, I just read your comments (that's what I get for posting before reading everything). :) I second everything you said--American Apparel is skeee-zy!
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