Abercrombie & Fitch: less substance, focused on style?

The first word that came to mind when I opened up this email was ‘arrogance’. For as long as I can remember, the Abercrombie & Fitch brand has represented the ideals of elitism, class distinction and popularity rather than substance. Maybe it’s because I was raised more blue-collar than NYC chique, but the A/F brand never fully connected with me and even when I pass by a store now, I often wonder what the big deal is.

So this latest email by A/F shouldn’t surprise me. Much like their stores, it’s dark and devoid of information. There’s a prompt to view their latest film, which is a black-and-white spot featuring a guy with just sweatpants on frolicking near the ocean while a younger female drives out to meet him. There are barely any actual clothes shown, but more a lifestyle, hence the Christmas 2008: Lifestyle Film tag.

So they’re above traditional email copy and content? It seems their email list is probably made up of younger people who want to stay trendy and connected, but aren’t demanding a whole lot from the brand. If I’m A/F, why not do a Fall Fashions Available Now or some sort of drive to actually sell product? Anything but this drab waste of communication.

Abercrombie and Fitch's latest email.