Abercrombie and Fitch Advertising: Pure Sex
Sonya Masinovsky

Sexually shocking images are the norm for Abercrombie and Fitch (A&F) ad campaigns. A&F sells clothing that is generally purchased by 10-25 year olds (www.directmag.com). Their clothing is extremely expensive, is often branded with the A&F logo, and is popular among young preppy (primarily white) people in the United States. This ad from the September 2003 issue of Interview magazine, a pop-culture and entertainment magazine, is a classic example of A&F advertising. The ad depicts sexualized youth culture, and barely any of the company's clothing is actually seen in the image. That said, the ad is more than a semi-pornographic image, it is loaded with subtle implications of an idealized American youth lifestyle.

The first page of the ad is of a large image of a red and blue vintage style car. The second page sends one's eyes straight to the bottom half of the page. The back door of the fancy car is open, and three pairs of legs are visible. Looking at the image, one feels like a voyeur trying to make sense of a strange sexual scene. This call for attention, of having to "make sense" of the scene, is useful in terms of making the viewer have to take notice of a genre of images that generally go unnoticed (advertisements). All three pairs of legs hanging out of the car are wearing the same kind of shoe (a style of shoe mostly worn by teenagers). Two of the pairs of legs are overtly male, indicated by glimpses of hairy muscular legs, and pants. One pair of legs is overtly female, which is indicated by hairless tanned slender legs, a short skirt, and pastel purple socks (a color that is often associated with femininity in the West). One of the male hands is carefully lifting the already miniscule skirt of the female, so a tiny part of her butt is revealed.

This image obviously implies a sexual encounter between the bodies that belong to the three pairs of legs. One of the males has his pants around his ankles, and the woman is being groped while she is on top of the men. Sut Jhally, in Image-Based Culture, explains how "in advertising, gender (especially for women) is defined almost exclusively along the lines of sexuality."(1995:253) In the same article, Jhally explains how identity is being increasingly defined through images; consequently, images that show sexualized gender are used by advertising agency to both get people's attention, and persuade them that product being sold is crucial for the viewer's identity as either a sexual male or female (Jhally, 1995:253)

It is unclear why the woman's legs are crossed (is she resistant to this sexual encounter?) and it is unclear what the male with his pants still fully on is doing (is this a sexual threesome? An awkward situation? Or instead, is this a casual normal encounter?) A school bag sits at the bottom of the threesome's feet, indicating that these individuals are students. Moreover, it seems to be implied that these students are of high school age. The girl is wearing a skirt reminiscent of a Catholic schoolgirl uniform, and the sexual encounter is taking place in a car. Countless Hollywood movies, and dozens of T.V. sitcoms, have depicted the "teenager escaping their parents' supervision by having sex in their car" cliché. It is interesting to note, that the scene looks "retro" or "vintage". In some ways, the car and the clothing refer to a nostalgic 1950's scene of teenage life; before the woman's, civil rights, and LGBT movements. A&F have been selling a popular "vintage" line of clothes, but the "vintage" material that the ad is selling is a revamped, yet nostalgic, 195o's era sexual encounter. After all, the woman is "on top", indicating that this encounter is not only consensual, but that the woman may also be in control. At the same time, the car, the clothes, the male hand lifting up the female's skirt all refer to more traditional heterosexual teenage sexuality. This image initially appears radical: there are two men with one woman (instead of the usual two lesbians with one male depiction), and the woman is on top. A closer look reveals how this is just a new version of an old teenage sex story.

Abercrombie unabashedly sells a lifestyle. In the company's early days (early 1900's), A&F primarily sold fishing and camping gear. In 1988, the Limited purchased A&F, and after the company was revamped, A&F fully divested from the Limited and went solo in 1996 (www.abercrombie.com, 2003). By 1997, A&F began their sexualized ad campaigns with photographer Bruce Weber, known as an "erotic photographer", with a background in fine art (www.bruceweber.com, 2003). Suddenly, the company garnered a great deal of commercial attention.

In 1997, A&F published their first issue of the Abercrombie and Fitch Quarterly. The Quarterly, a cross between a magazine and a catalogue, contained nude photos, and articles "geared" towards 18-22 year old college students. Although representatives from A&F adamantly maintain that the Quarterly and their clothing are targeted to the 18-22 year old market, the reality is that their products (the Quarterly included) have been criticized for actually being marketed to 10-14 year olds. For example, in 2002 A&F were widely criticized after they marketed a line of thong underwear in child sizes with slogans such as "wink-wink," and "eye candy" printed on the thongs.

With their Quarterly, their racy images, and their website, A&F started selling more than just a clothing line; they began to sell a lifestyle. This is made most clear by visiting their website at www.abercrombie.com. On their website you can find an icon for "A&F lifestyle," where one can watch "models in motion," "view the latest [semi-pornographic] photos" download wallpaper and screensavers, and check out other "cool" sites (for music, film, TV, sports, etc). Their website and their ads provide a model for upper class white adolescence (very few people of color are shown in their ads or in the A&F Quarterly).

A simple Internet search for "Abercrombie and Fitch" leads you to hundreds of articles that have been published in numerous forums over the past few years that criticize A&F ad campaigns. Critics include right wing Christian groups, feminists, parent groups, and Asian American groups (after A&F made an offensive t-shirt line with racist images and slogans).

This ad is a perfect example of A&F's marketing strategies. The image is not only about sex, as opposed to clothing, but it is also an example of upper class white American teen life. American youth can look to A&F ads and find role models. Regardless of the critics, A&F continues to use sexually charged images in their ad campaigns. In fact, you almost never see clothes in A&F ads anymore.. It would be interesting to see an advertising company take a truly radical route: advertising that is not connected to a sexualized gender identity.

The ad was found in the September 2003 edition of Interview Magazine

Internet Resources for Abercrombie and Fitch advertising information:

http://sale.wsu.edu/fair_f01/FS5/Documents/fs/finalwebpage/survey/, accessed on

November 2, 2003.

http://www.bruceweber.com; accesed on November 3, 2003.

http:://www.directmag.com/ar/marketing_Abercrombie_fitch_accused/, accessed on October 29, 2003.

http://www.multnomah.edu/voice/0302/0302cover2.html., accessed on November 1, 2003

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/17/business/media/17ADCO.html?ex=10678835600&en=b17242d72ddacfa0&ei=5070, accessed on October 28, 2003.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-09-15-edit_x.htm, accessed on November 3, 2003.