an advertising enterprise: A&F

When is enough, enough? Some people worship Abercrombie and Fitch, while others are downright offended by the messages that are promoted every day in their stores. Although Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F for short), does not advertise outside of their stores, the company uses very effective means to promote not only their brand but also an A&F lifestyle. It's quite ironic that large companies spend millions upon millions of dollars every year to promote their businesses while A&F actually earns money while advertising. The main method for all promotion is on t-shirts and other assorted clothing items which are worn proudly by customers all over the world. The majority of merchandise sold in stores have some form of the company's name prominently displayed in order to distinguish the clothing from all other stores. Whether it is a moose, "Abercrombie" or an "1892" (Abercrombie's date of establishment), the public recognizes very easily when an item is from Abercrombie and Fitch and it is this recognition which is key to Abercrombie's advertising. Once an individual spots an A&F item, immediately there is a strong association with the Brand and the look which has been succesfully engrained into the minds of the masses. Abercrombie is globally known as the all-american clothing company with amazingly attractive models whose pictures are posted all over the stores. Upon entering a store, all customers are exposed to a multitude of black and white photos which contain half-naked models in seductive poses either alone or with a member of the opposite sex. Abercrombie's means of advertisement is almost perfect, atleast in the business sense that large profit is made from a very low cost means. Things are never as perfect as they seem and it is Abercrombie's "flawless" methods which have often backfired in their faces. Although there have been multiple cases of lawsuits against the company their revenue has not decreased in the slightest.

Abercrombie is a very controversial brand and because of that, there are vastly different opinions upon the inner workings of the store. There have been many disputes as to whether the store is an equal opportunity employer and most sources would agree that it is not true. Along with the look that is associated with Abercrombie is the assumption that all the models are white, skinny and attractive. With that in mind, the company stays true to the Brand in all aspects of the store and therefore hire only employees with the Abercrombie "look". Where this process brings negative attention is when individuals are discriminated on grounds of race and skin color. It is true that the majority of all Abercrombie and Fitch employees are caucasian, but due to many disputes in courts, A&F has reverted their ways of recruiting and hiring requirements are much lower. Despite the occasional lawsuit regarding discrimination in hiring and politically incorrect humor on t-shirts, Abercrombie and Fitch's methods of advertising prove very effective. The discrimination disputes are a result of over-sensitivity of the public. To use an example, Maxim magazine only displays gorgeous models who fit the ideal of what men want to see. Using this logic, Abercrombie employees may all look very similar, but it is their similarity that makes Abercrombie, Abercrombie and Fitch. Another point of discussion is the content on their famous humor tees. These t-shirts contain politically incorrect play on words and jokes which may offend many people. The justification for the t-shirts is that the humor outweighs the offense upon other individuals and the truth is that these t-shirts are not nearly as offensive as they were in the past years. There are no racial slurs or discriminatory remarks on the humor tees produced in the recent lines.

Although A&F's method does not advertise explicitely outside of stores, on occasion they do use alternate forms of advertisement which involve outdoor posters. The other medium by which Abercrombie does advertise partially is through their magazine, the A&F Quarterly. This magazine is another example of how A&F uses sexual attraction and general sexual appeal to sell their product. The magazine consists of a variety of models in even less clothing than are shown in the store. Even the negative attention, which may seem detrimental to Abercrombie's advertising design, actually helps the company advertise to those whom are not usually targeted. All in all, Abercrombie and Fitch may use non-traditional methods of advertising but this technique functions perfectly with today's market and the personality of the targeted audience.