Their brand image is all about beauty, and class; to most people its quite frankly vulgar. But this is the interesting thing, the same people who find it vulgar, find it irresistible, and seductive. They cant help but think, by simply buying these expensive clothes, they’re buying themselves into the elitist class the brand sells. Regardless of what people say, it’s a proven fact that the quality of the products these brands sell are better than other retail brands, and you can tell that when you shop there the clothes immediately feel thicker, comfier, the swing tags look and feel expensive, everyone who works there are beautiful; this all adds to its seduction, even if you hate the idea of it all.
What works for these brands are that they tap into our egos. They are either our regular store we go to spend all of Mummy and Daddy’s money, or we’ve been seduced and cant help mixing with the ‘upper class’ and fulfilling our retail guilty pleasure.
You could argue this ideology is wrong, but Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Jack Wills are hugely successful brands, they have selected a powerful target audience which provokes opinions which only adds the their success. You either love it, hate it, or pretend to hate it but secretly love it.
What works for these brands are that they tap into our egos. They are either our regular store we go to spend all of Mummy and Daddy’s money, or we’ve been seduced and cant help mixing with the ‘upper class’ and fulfilling our retail guilty pleasure.
You could argue this ideology is wrong, but Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Jack Wills are hugely successful brands, they have selected a powerful target audience which provokes opinions which only adds the their success. You either love it, hate it, or pretend to hate it but secretly love it.
Abercrombie and Fitch, just another guilty pleasure like sleeping with your girlfriends sister. You know you shouldn't, but shit she's hot!
by Matt Cambridge May 20, 2011
Clothing brand that is marketed to college-age people, but purchased mostly by middle- and high-school students, it seems. Started in the 19th century, it was once a sporting-goods store, in the "hunting things for sport" sense. They weren't doing well in the nineties, so the new CEO decided to revitalize the company by selling stylish, preppy clothing for younger people. He thought that maybe if they sold things at crazy-high prices ($50 for a cotton t-shirt, etc.) then teens and young twenties would somehow buy the clothing because it would be "cool" if it was expensive. Or some kind of crazy reverse-psychology marketing idea. Anyway, everyone thought this was a terrible idea, but as the younger set are often easily confused by marketing ploys, the company became very successful.
Currently, A&F is hugely symbolic in American high schools - and middle schools, too. People who wear Abercrombie are often well-to-do and attractive, and so they are thought of as "popular" or "preppy." Being teenagers, they are often very possessive of their popularity and are loath to accept or be friendly with other types of kids. "Other types" means those who want to dress or act differently than the A&F children.
To those who hate it, it represents either the kind of money-squandering that they can't afford, or the frivolous and cruel social structure that they can't be a part of. A&F clothes are often cheaply made and fall apart in the wash, or are made to show lots of skin, which is disturbing when seventh-graders are amassing closetfuls of it. Basically, it's clothing that they know isn't worth the money, but that they buy because it's cool and pretty much normal to do so.
Abercrombie symbolizes affluence, coolness, stylishness, fitting it, being popular, being hott with two t's, being normal, conforming, being mindless, being careless, being without inhibition. A&F symbolizes being a young person - you don't have to worry or work or do anything except study and play and flirt and look good. For its supporters, it is innocence, and for its opponents, it is ignorance. That's why Abercrombie is so hugely controversial.
Currently, A&F is hugely symbolic in American high schools - and middle schools, too. People who wear Abercrombie are often well-to-do and attractive, and so they are thought of as "popular" or "preppy." Being teenagers, they are often very possessive of their popularity and are loath to accept or be friendly with other types of kids. "Other types" means those who want to dress or act differently than the A&F children.
To those who hate it, it represents either the kind of money-squandering that they can't afford, or the frivolous and cruel social structure that they can't be a part of. A&F clothes are often cheaply made and fall apart in the wash, or are made to show lots of skin, which is disturbing when seventh-graders are amassing closetfuls of it. Basically, it's clothing that they know isn't worth the money, but that they buy because it's cool and pretty much normal to do so.
Abercrombie symbolizes affluence, coolness, stylishness, fitting it, being popular, being hott with two t's, being normal, conforming, being mindless, being careless, being without inhibition. A&F symbolizes being a young person - you don't have to worry or work or do anything except study and play and flirt and look good. For its supporters, it is innocence, and for its opponents, it is ignorance. That's why Abercrombie is so hugely controversial.
Non-AF person: Why is that Abercrombie and Fitch model shown without wearing any clothing that could possibly be an advertised Abercrombie and Fitch product? It's marketing an image that obviously doesn't even need the clothes to exist! This is the decline of intelligent human society! Why are you so dumb, that you buy these ridiculous garments only because others do? Read a newspaper! Get a job and learn the value of a dollar!
AF Person: But she looks so cool. See, the naked guy over there is hot too. My older sister/The most popular girl in my class/that model wears A&F shirts. Maybe my mom will buy me this shirt. Maybe then I can look like her. I will look so good, who cares what it costs? I mean, if everyone else buys it then it's obviously not a bad deal, right? And it's so cute, who cares if it's a little flimsy? So you, you person with the problem, you just wish you could afford this/looked like me/were cool like me, right? Of course! Yeah, I'm still cool....
AF Person: But she looks so cool. See, the naked guy over there is hot too. My older sister/The most popular girl in my class/that model wears A&F shirts. Maybe my mom will buy me this shirt. Maybe then I can look like her. I will look so good, who cares what it costs? I mean, if everyone else buys it then it's obviously not a bad deal, right? And it's so cute, who cares if it's a little flimsy? So you, you person with the problem, you just wish you could afford this/looked like me/were cool like me, right? Of course! Yeah, I'm still cool....
by Bindlebeep September 1, 2005
A popular clothing store with a target audience of upper-middle class white teens and college students, 14-25. A+F competes with similarly targeted clothing stores such as American Eagle, The Gap, and Old Navy. Despite it's popularity and controversial marketing tactics, Abercrombie and Fitch is still regularly beaten by Old Navy in sales.
Abercrombie and Fitch are highly controversial for the image attached to the name and for their suspect business practices.
The image attached to A+F clothing tends be regarded as either: elite, sexy, expensive, suggestive of money and status, and popular; or mindless, racist, elitist, shallow, and depraved, depending on viewpoint.
Abercrombie and Fitch has come under numerous lawsuits for alleged racism and discrimination in their hiring and marketing tactics. Furthermore, A+F's marketing is extremely skillful with psychological manipulation. The stores are equipped with looped advertisments running non-stop in back areas, designed for maximum saturation of propaganda, and affect multiple senses at once with constant spritzing of their trademark fragrance, loud, pulsing music, offsetting lighting and visual propaganda, and availble tactile stimulation. These are all coupled with heavy sexual imagery (to compound the point, the music played is also inductive of sexuality).
Much of the marketing tactics of A+F border on or directly resemble fascist (particularly Nazist with the excessive elitism and alleged racism) indoctrination techniques. Along with Hollister Co., which is owned by the same company and employs identicle tactics, the stores are often viewed as cultish because of their heavy propaganda and the apparent mindlessness often associated with those who shop at A+F. The youth targeted and often excessive sexuality of A+F propaganda gives A+F an image of depravity not shared with other similar stores such as American Eagle (excepting Hollister Co. which again, is very similar to A+F).
While overly gross generalizations are often made of people who shop at A+F, the cultish image created by A+F and the zealot nature of some A+F supporters, as well as the frequency with which the stereotypes are accurate refect poorly on the overall group who shop there.
Much of A+F's tactics can be seen in fascist philosophy.
Abercrombie and Fitch are highly controversial for the image attached to the name and for their suspect business practices.
The image attached to A+F clothing tends be regarded as either: elite, sexy, expensive, suggestive of money and status, and popular; or mindless, racist, elitist, shallow, and depraved, depending on viewpoint.
Abercrombie and Fitch has come under numerous lawsuits for alleged racism and discrimination in their hiring and marketing tactics. Furthermore, A+F's marketing is extremely skillful with psychological manipulation. The stores are equipped with looped advertisments running non-stop in back areas, designed for maximum saturation of propaganda, and affect multiple senses at once with constant spritzing of their trademark fragrance, loud, pulsing music, offsetting lighting and visual propaganda, and availble tactile stimulation. These are all coupled with heavy sexual imagery (to compound the point, the music played is also inductive of sexuality).
Much of the marketing tactics of A+F border on or directly resemble fascist (particularly Nazist with the excessive elitism and alleged racism) indoctrination techniques. Along with Hollister Co., which is owned by the same company and employs identicle tactics, the stores are often viewed as cultish because of their heavy propaganda and the apparent mindlessness often associated with those who shop at A+F. The youth targeted and often excessive sexuality of A+F propaganda gives A+F an image of depravity not shared with other similar stores such as American Eagle (excepting Hollister Co. which again, is very similar to A+F).
While overly gross generalizations are often made of people who shop at A+F, the cultish image created by A+F and the zealot nature of some A+F supporters, as well as the frequency with which the stereotypes are accurate refect poorly on the overall group who shop there.
Much of A+F's tactics can be seen in fascist philosophy.
The constant sensual assault of the Abercrombie and Fitch stores strongly resembles the mass propaganda events held in Communist China that air on Chinese television all day, every day.
by Elnion June 7, 2006
Abercrombie and Fitch is a clothing store going towards the teen demographic but it is edging towards the childrens as well. They use sexual refrences, illegal, and wrong things to sell clothing to children.It is moderately priced but still on the expensive end compared to Aeropostale and other stores. I am personally not a fan of the store but thats just my opinion. Don't call me a poor, jealous, emo or punk (I actually find sterotypes dumb) girl because I am not. I am in no way fitting in any of these groups. Abercrombie and Fitch typically sells clothes that are plastered with there label and they mostly become prewrinkled or preripped. I also find that this is retarded because you can be in style by buying clothes from Kohl's or Goody's and ripping them yourself. I don't hate the people that wear this brand, I just think that it is a retarded store in my opinion.
MML
MML
Abercrombie and Fitch Lover (At least at my school):Ewwww... your not wearing Abercrombie!
Me: Yea, I know!
AL:Why?
Me:I don't like the brand.
Me: Yea, I know!
AL:Why?
Me:I don't like the brand.
by mmljazzdancer December 23, 2006
Abercrombie and Fitch is a store that, ironically, advertises their highly-priced clothing with shirtless men. This suggests that if you buy their products you will look like the model who works his abs for hours each day. Sadly, buying an Abercrombie product will NOT make you look like that model. Buying Abercrombie (A&F) clothes makes people feel hot and prestigious, even if they're not.
Popular products include:
1. Jeans with lots of tears in them.
2. Shirts and sweatshirts with a moose on them.
3. Clothes that boldly say "ABERCROMBIE" or "A&F" or some other advertisement for the company.
4. Regular clothes like tank tops, jackets, jeans, bathing suits, scarves etc. They can sometimes be cute. However, none of the clothes products are particularly interesting or eye-catching. There are no fun patterns or colors, and nothing is unique.
Important Note: Abercrombie was recently sued for only hiring based on looks: slender, fake-tanned, white, pretty, athletic type (etc) young adults. The idea of A&F is to attract customers with the hot people who ring up your purchase or unlock the dressing room for you.
Popular products include:
1. Jeans with lots of tears in them.
2. Shirts and sweatshirts with a moose on them.
3. Clothes that boldly say "ABERCROMBIE" or "A&F" or some other advertisement for the company.
4. Regular clothes like tank tops, jackets, jeans, bathing suits, scarves etc. They can sometimes be cute. However, none of the clothes products are particularly interesting or eye-catching. There are no fun patterns or colors, and nothing is unique.
Important Note: Abercrombie was recently sued for only hiring based on looks: slender, fake-tanned, white, pretty, athletic type (etc) young adults. The idea of A&F is to attract customers with the hot people who ring up your purchase or unlock the dressing room for you.
Thought of a guy driving by an Abercrombie and Fitch billboard: "WOW. That man has killer biceps! If only I shopped at A&F more often, I'd look like that hot model, and get all the chicks."
by Zosia May 26, 2006
Store that became infamous because they won't hire minorities and for creating a t-shirt that set back the Asian American movenment 100 years.
Person 1: Hey have you seen that A&F Two Wongs make it white shirt?
Person 2: Yeah, that's some racist ass shit. What's next, a guy with a queue pulling a rickshaw?
Person 1: (sarcastically) Haha, racism and ignorance is hilarious.
Person 2: Yeah, that's some racist ass shit. What's next, a guy with a queue pulling a rickshaw?
Person 1: (sarcastically) Haha, racism and ignorance is hilarious.
by noise June 8, 2005
i'm seeing a lot of people mentioning that the people who dispise the company Abercrombie and Fitch, are emos and goths who hate everyone they see who wears it. and yet the people who wear it get pissed off that everyone is stereotyping them as preps and prissy rich bitches, so why don't you stop bashing us because we choose to not wear abercrombie. maybe it's not because we can't afford it, or are too fat to fit into their clothing, maybe it's because they are racist, or "an all-american" store as they choose to call it, but just stop saying that we descriminate those who wear abercrombie and fitch even though we don't know them, because just by doing that you are being a hypocrite. i choose not to wear abercrombie and fitch, yes, but that's only because i don't like the company and the way they choose to advertise their products, but that doesn't mean i hate the people who do choose to wear it. if they want to, they can, it's not anything to me.
friend: hey do you want to go to A&F with me, there's a sale i don't want to miss, oh i forgot you don't like Abercrombie, it's okay i won't wear it.
non-A&F friend: oh it's okay, i don't expect everyone to feel the same way i do about Abercrombie and Fitch.
non-A&F friend: oh it's okay, i don't expect everyone to feel the same way i do about Abercrombie and Fitch.
by G.D.S. June 10, 2006