Abercrombie and Fitch was a brand, similar to Gap, that was near the edge of being forgotten in the past. Once the most popular clothing brand for younger generations in the early 2000s and 2010s, young adults and teens in recent years hardly ever shop there.
Thankfully, its latest jeans ad might have been the boost it needed to regain its customer base. Abercrombie and Fitch’s latest jeans campaign came as a clapback against a controversial jeans ad by American Eagle.
The ad in question featured famous actress Sydney Sweeney with wordplay that, while mainly focused on describing the jeans she was promoting, could also allude to dangerous ideologies like eugenics and white supremacy. Unsurprisingly, the ad prompted outcry from much of the public, particularly when President Donald Trump and others in his political field voiced approval for the ad and its messaging in response to the backlash.
In response, other brands in American Eagle’s field quickly rushed out ads that countered their messaging. One of the ads that drew attention was from Abercrombie and Fitch. Instead of promoting allusions to racist values, Abercrombie and Fitch showcased models of all shapes, colors, and sizes for their jeans. Effectively, the ad promoted Abercrombie and Fitch as a company that was welcoming and accepting of people from diverse backgrounds, rather than one that upheld restrictive and specific ethnic features as the ideal.
Since the ad’s release, it has garnered over one million views on TikTok alone and received a massive amount of praise for the company’s commitment to upholding diverse values. Abercrombie and Fitch has been dealt a perfect hand, and if it manages to stick with what its new ad promoted, the brand will have a dedicated consumer base.
