Alright so they try to hammer in the idea of being an anti sweatshop company with non-logo shirts and all that great stuff, but really i can’t stand their ads. Not only does the photography work look armature but also the models are pretty much exploiting themselves like in some amateur porn. Some of their campaigns consists of female models posing with arm pit hair, sweat drenched shirts, and crouch shots with pubic hair crawling out from underneath her pantone red undies. But on the other hand I might just be mad because its not some sexy supermodel with the crouch shot. You the viewer decide!
AMERICAN APPARAL aka amature soft core porn ads?
4 comments:
I've always felt the ads were a little crude and on the pornographic side but I would like to commend them for using models that are not 5'11'' and 100 lbs. They carefully chose there models and they are not meant to be conventionally sexy but are chosen to be interesting and intriguing.
I like the company and the fact that they are all about fair trade working. I feel the clothes are over priced for their quality but I have my share of leggings.
The ads get peoples attention and we remember them but I dont think they embody the true nature of American Apparel's brand.
I used to dig AA advertising. Initially, they shot 'average' folks (most worked for the company or were friends of employees) in average situations. Nothing too exciting, but the ads did stand out.
The ads have since degraded to hipster pseudo-porn. At one point, AA had Lauren Phoenix (adult actress) modeling tube socks (sox=sex, gettit?) A majority of the photos are taken by the owner of AA, fairly well-known to be an off-kilter, sexually-drive sleaze.
I agree with the post above that the AA's current advertising does not effectively represent the company. They do however, represent the owner, and ultimately, I don't think this is the best thing for the AA brand.
I feel that these ads are representing or trying to show the brands alternative aspect. I agree that it has been taken a little too far. Now, they aim to produce the same kind of effect from the viewer as they've achieved before—make it obscene, a little vulgar and very "crude" like Lee said. In some ways, I feel that it does and can affect the brand in a bad way, especially if people are more focused on the models razor burns instead of the underwear. I understand they're trying to be edgy with their image, but you don't have to be that blunt to get the idea across.
What next? Soiled underwear?
I agree that the American Apparel ads are pretty out there, some of the photo albums on their site are pretty extreme as well. Even the sign ontop of the yonge and bloor store is basically a huge picture of legs and ass.
But, as disturbing as they sometimes are, they are often quite appealing. Its interesting how we are so used to seeing made up, photoshoped sexy pictures that we are almost immune to now, but show us regular people in similar positions and it looks shocking,
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