Abercrombie shakes off its image of racy, body-shaming ads of the past with a new body positive campaign
- Abercrombie launched a inclusive campaign for its signature cologne, Fierce.
The campaign features a mix of athletes, activists, performers, and authors, among others that have "made their mark on the world by living as their most authentic, brave and Fierce selves," Abercrombie said.
- The new image follows in the footsteps of other teen and millennial brands that have shifted toward more body-positive marketing campaigns. American Eagle has been leading the pack with its "Aerie Real" campaign at its Aerie lifestyle brand.
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The days of shirtless Abercrombie models hanging out outside its stores are long gone, and Abercrombie is making significant steps to distance itself from the brand it once was.
On Thursday, it introduced an inclusive ad campaign for its signature fragrance, Fierce, which relaunched in early 2019. The campaign features professional athletes Megan Rapinoe and Kyle Kuzma along with various activists, performers, and authors, it said, in a press release announcing the news.
All of these characters have "made their mark on the world by living as their most authentic, brave and Fierce selves," it said.
Fierce had come to be associated with the brand's former image of dimly lit stores with booming music and shirtless models. In the early to mid-2000s, it was sprayed liberally by topless models or sales assistants and reportedly even blown through the air-conditioning system, which meant that its stores and even large parts of the surrounding streets or malls smelled of the fragrance.
The spraying was brought to an end in 2017, and while the product continued to be sold in stores and online since, it wasn't until early 2019 that it was relaunched with a new, more inclusive image.
Abercrombie is following in the footsteps of other teen and millennial brands that have shifted toward more body-positive marketing campaigns in recent years. American Eagle is leading the pack here with its "Aerie Real" campaign at its popular lifestyle brand.
Model Michael Robert McCauley, who is featured in the new Abercrombie campaign, celebrated its decision to use "real" people in an Instagram post on Thursday.
"Brands are finally waking up to what their customers ACTUALLY want and I'm honored to be at the front of this movement, working with Abercrombie as we lead the industry for change," he wrote.
"People want to see REAL people in the clothes they're buying, and I think most people can relate to guys like me. This isn't a fashion statement. Beefy dudes are here to stay! I'm so proud to be a part of this amazing Fierce family and the new ANF. Together we form a special kind of family. So much more to come!!!"