7/25/2009

A really old discussion... still funny!

AA advertising

To be quite frank, I don't really like Aperican Apprarel. Until now, I only found one or the other sweater and pair of leggins that I felt the need to buy in their store. Mostly, the clothing is too fitted where I'm much more into slouchy and oversized things. Or it is too basic or too boring - simply.
Anyway, I simply *LOVE* browsing their website. And you know why? Because of the photography and the advertising they do. Do I have to pay to view this website?

Let's put it like this: When a stupid song contains only common place lyrics, a boring and too simple beat and the artist seems boring/ugly on top of it all, what do they do? They produce an uber sexy music video for it. Girls with less clothes on than Hugh Hefner's 10 girlfriends during any time of the day for sure - trying hard to look as sexy as possible in the video to make the viewer like the song despite the dramatically low quality of the music - which ideally should be in the center of attention. Did you ever see Radiohead produce such a video? No? Well, there you go.
Of course I'm banalising here, but that's just for the fun of it.

American Apparel does indeed do the same. Take this mesh dress for example. It's okay, I don't even find the dress that bad. It's quite cute and good for layering. Oh, wait, for LAYERING, yes! What does AA do? They ask their model, who probably gets paid a lil extra for not wearing even little panties underneath, to jump into this dress naked. AS IF, ladies and gentlemen, ANYBODY would ever wear the dress LIKE THIS EVER! (Except if you work in a certain horizontal business or in a strip-bar, which is okay of course, don't get me wrong, I absolutely approve of any of that!)

But just imagine Topshop selling the same kinda dress. They'd add cute tights and chunky boots, a fringey scarf, probably fun jewellery, studded bra and all that. They'd create a cool party outfit to promote the dress. The model would look decent AND sexy. Not cheap, AA! Cheap, that's the word. And that's how this adertising makes it look like. I like nakedness, I love it indeed. I run around naked all the time - AT HOME! But advertising like this is too obvious, simply and it's getting on my nerves because AA somehow understands it as their own way of advertising by now. They do it all the time!

Just as a reminder to AA, sex sells, yes, but not like this. Try to be more subtle, please.
Posted by Ricky at 12:46 PM
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19 comments:

  2. wenn ich mich recht erinnere, gab es da auch schon mal einen aufschrei, weil der aa-boss die models irgendwie belästigt hat bei solchen shoots.. ich glaube, er macht diese bilder nämlich teilweise selbst.. naja, mein fall ist es auch nicht..
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  3. I absolutely hate American Apparel. They do have some good basics, but the advertising really turns me off, as well as the general bad aura Dov Charney has (he's always being accused of something, from sexual harassment to bad business practices). To top it off, the people who work there are really snobby!
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  4. well.. you like it or you don't, but at least they do something DIFFERENT. That's the main point . And we can't reproach them to try to sell their shit seriously...
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  5. I agree with you. Most of their ads disgust me. I could picture this dress with neon biker shorts & a matching scarf, a cute black triangle bra and heeled boots or something but like this? Ugh. It's gross.

    I must admit, I do like AA's tees and cardigans, but they're so overpriced it's hard for me to justify the spending (as I'm a broke college student).

    In all: I love, I hate, I have mixed feelings about AA.
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  6. I absolutely agree with you about AA.
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  8. Yeah almost all of their photos contain models posed in an overly sexual way. I think they have good layering pieces... but I could get most of their t shirts and camis from H&M for much cheaper! And like someone mentioned earlier, their CEO Dov Charney is kindof a creep... haha

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  10. oh i agree x 298937489732
    what always strikes me as odd is that they make their models look as cheap as possible but palm all their goods off at heinously high prices. ironic.
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  11. Yes, AA's site is light pornography, which is a pity because practically anyone can view it. I get their point of hiring real-people like models to do the modelling, but I really don't feel like puking in my mouth sometimes when browsing their site. I also believe that it is them who taught people that wearing leggings like pants is okay. Worst thing that's happened this decade.
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  12. I totally agree! Since the firs time I stumbled on AA site I was asking myself :"why are this models naked??"
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  13. I absolutely agree with you. I was actually working as a sales assistant in a certain sexshop and this is exactly how the stuff there would be advertised. Not a bit of a class.
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  14. I agree that AA is overpriced, but it's overpriced because all of their products are made in America and not in some third world country where children are being paid two cents an hour to make them. I think that their advertising techniques can be over the top, but that's the point: to get your attention. It's obviously working if it's so controversial and people are talking about it.
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  15. haha agree. for guys it's like porn i bet. like..oh you're not of age? don't worry go to AA website! hahaha.
    it is indeed different, you rather love it or hate it, true. i like the fact that AA uses next door girl looking girls so you feel identified with the body type,looks,etc but i too, think it is a bit too much sometimes.
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  16. well.. that's their trademark!
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  17. wow, your brief TopShop styling discription totally made me rethink this dress. In that context I could actually imagine wearing this bodycondom. I like AA for certain things, but not for "hey, what up boobs!"
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