“We want to market to cool, good-looking people, we don’t market to anyone other than that”
We’re all used to walking past the dark, music thumping stores which, more often than not boasts images of perfectly sized, beautiful girls and ripped, chiseled guys; but now Abercombie & Fitch have taken on a new strategy.
Following further dips in sales, the brand has decided to now sell plus sized clothing above size L (their current largest size available) in an attempt to heighten sales and attract a new influx of customers.
Now, there are a few issues with this new strategy; A&F have always been an “exclusionary” brand and have always prided themselves on this philosophy. It is this “exclusionary” ethos that can be seen as a worry; will these new customers be valued customers? Or just become an asset to their profits? Do we think we’ll be seeing those paper bags without ripped abs plastered across them? After all, how does a company completely turn its back on its signature philosophy, which alienated these new target customers in the beginning?
It’s hard to see how genuinely effective this move will be for the brand. Not only this but how will they adapt against an ethos that CEO Mark Jeffries highlights: they “want to market to cool, good-looking people. [They] don’t market to anyone other than that.”
Along with this article, take a quick minute and look at these genius images and responses to A&F’s new campaign on Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-and-fitch-plus-sized-ads-2013-5
Let us know your thoughts by tweeting us at @AmorMagazineUK !
Words: Umika Verma
