American Apparel

Today I wanted to look at a company who creates all advertising in house, American Apparel. The company is known for their sexually suggestive advertising, ranging from the scintillating to the purely tasteless. It is a testament to their creative viewpoint that I struggled to find three ads that were suitable to display here. The company has designed and printed their own campaigns since it was established in 1989. Most of the work contains women, who the company feel encompasses a natural beauty. Champions of the brand have applauded the lack of airbrushing displayed in the ads.

Yet detractors comment on the gratuitous use of flesh, sexual settings and overall misogynistic tone prevalent in the print campaigns.  The company has battled with regulators in multiple countries over provocative pieces, and often had to withdraw campaigns due to complaints and industry standards. The company's CEO, the infamous Dov Charney, has had several sexual harassment lawsuits brought against him. Some of these lawsuits were even raised by models featured in print campaigns.

In 2008, The Guardian awarded AA with the title of "Label of the Year". I think it would be fair to say that the company peaked during this period. Recent sales have been low, and consumer backlash to the increasingly explicit advertisements has begun to stir. What once was viewed as a provocative and exciting way to market a brand is now seen as stale and tacky. It will be interesting to see if that company attempts to move in a different direction with their branding if sales continue to fall.