Minq

Helping You Look and Feel Good

  • New
  • Beauty
  • Food
  • Fitness
  • Lifestyle
  • Style

Abercrombie & Fitch Attempts To Bury Body-Shaming Past With New Ad Campaign

By Amanda Huffman
February 14, 2020

Nessluop / Shutterstock

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Abercrombie & Fitch was under fire for its notoriously exclusive and body-shaming brand strategies.

In 2006, former CEO Mike Jeffries told Salon, “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids. We go after the cool kids.”/

“A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong,” he continued. “Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.”

Clearly sticking to their fatphobic ways, the retailer received major backlash in 2013 after Business Insider article reported that they didn’t carry women’s XL or XXL sizes.

Now, it’s a new decade and Abercrombie & Fitch is under new leadership. Since 2017, CEO Fran Horowitz has steered the company in a new, more accessible direction. Recently, the brand launched “Face Your Fierce,” their most inclusive ad campaign to date.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8OmxyQHwBc/

Rooted in the spirit “body positivity” and “LGBTQ+ equality,” the ad campaign abandons the sexy, cool kid aesthetic for more diverse and realistic body types. Abercrombie & Fitch’s head of creative, Joanna Ewing, told the New York Post, “We’re moving towards a world of belonging, rather than fitting in.”

The campaign features plus-size models, activists, athletes, and artists to represent the brand in a whole new light. You may even recognize a few faces wearing Abercrombie’s classic cable knit sweaters in the campaign––soccer player and World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe, Paralympic athlete Scout Bassett, Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy, and LA Lakers basketball player Kyle Kuzma are all featured.

Although I’m personally interested to see what the future holds for Abercrombie & Fitch, I am a bit skeptical about their intentions. As someone who was a chubby, preteen girl during the time of Jeffries’ Salon interview, I remember all too well what it was like not being cool or popular or thin enough to wear Abercrombie & Fitch.

Is this just another example of a brand glomming onto trendy social justice campaigns for extra clout without doing any real activism? Is this Abercrombie & Fitch’s last ditch effort to save the brand before they have to close even more brick and mortar stores? It’s hard to say. But hey, at least you can walk into their stores now without choking on perfume.

    Primary Sidebar

    Most Popular

    Dad Dives Into Sea To Save Daughter After She Falls From Disney Cruise Ship
    NewDad Dives Into Sea To Save Daughter After She Falls From Disney Cruise Ship
    Anthony Yates
    Japan Airlines Flight Scare Had Passengers Penning Messages To Loved Ones
    NewJapan Airlines Flight Scare Had Passengers Penning Messages To Loved Ones
    Anthony Yates
    Mom Considers Blocking Friends After They Fail To Show For Daughter's Birthday
    NewMom Considers Blocking Friends After They Fail To Show For Daughter’s Birthday
    Anthony Yates

    Editor's Picks

    2 Firefighters Dead After Sniper Allegedly Lured Them To His Location
    New2 Firefighters Dead After Sniper Allegedly Lured Them To His Location
    Anthony Yates
    The Rock Reveals Heartwarming Makeover With Kids In Viral Video
    NewThe Rock Reveals Heartwarming Makeover With Kids In Viral Video
    Anthony Yates

    Trending

    Cobra Kai Actress Addresses Fans After Biting Incident
    NewCobra Kai Actress Addresses Fans After Biting Incident
    Anthony Yates
    Party Host Angers Parents After Giving Their Children Sugary Drinks
    NewParty Host Angers Parents After Giving Their Children Sugary Drinks
    Anthony Yates

    Secondary Sidebar

    Can't Miss Stories

    Vittoria Ceretti, DiCaprio's Girlfriend, Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction As Vintage Dress Starts To Rip
    NewVittoria Ceretti, DiCaprio’s Girlfriend, Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction As Vintage Dress Starts To Rip
    Anthony Yates
    Australian Influencer Death Ruled As "Accidental" After 6 Year Investigation
    NewAustralian Influencer Death Ruled As “Accidental” After 6 Year Investigation
    Anthony Yates
    Beyoncé Forced To Pause Show As Mechanical Stage Prop Fails
    NewBeyoncé Forced To Pause Show As Mechanical Stage Prop Fails
    Anthony Yates

    Must Reads

    Florida Man Allegedly Caught Driving Over 100MPH While Recording A Snapchat With Baby On Board
    NewFlorida Man Allegedly Caught Driving Over 100MPH While Recording A Snapchat With Baby On Board
    Anthony Yates
    Hailstorms Force Airline To Inspect 100 Planes For Damage
    NewHailstorms Force Airline To Inspect 100 Planes For Damage
    Anthony Yates

    Popular Picks

    Truck carrying 10,000 Bottles Of Booze Tips Over On Highway Without A Single Breakage
    NewTruck Carrying 10,000 Bottles Of Booze Tips Over On Highway Without A Single Breakage
    Anthony Yates
    Woman Opens Time Capsule From 25 Years Ago In Viral Video
    NewWoman Opens Time Capsule From 25 Years Ago In Viral Video
    Anthony Yates

    Helping You Look and Feel Good
    • About Us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    Do Not Sell My Personal Information Change Consent