Sadly, it’s predictable. A company reacting to the defacement of its brand almost always goes down the wrong road. Rather than enter into a conversation (or better yet, simply ignore these small stunts) with those defacing its brand, it calls in the lawyers. That’s what Abercrombie & Fitch did after we called their attention to the existence of some Nazi-esque posters branded with the Abercrombie & Fitch logo but, in reality, were just social commentary. Now, like PUMA, Abercrombie & Fitch would like this to all go away but all they’ve done is fan the flames.
sfist has a lengthy interview with Chris, the creator of the A&F parody and, much to A&F’s chagrin, even more Nazi-esque images from the parody. In the interview, Chris, while having nothing against Abercrombie & Fitch, says he is irked by “groupthink” which he likens to a “mindless conformity – that people are willing to adopt a logo.” Going further, he adds, “the mechanics of wearing an Abercrombie and Fitch shirt are identical to wearing a Nazi armband.”
While we’re positive Abercrombie & Fitch-wearing teens have not joined a cult in preparation for world war III, the parody does raise intriguing questions about the power of a brand and how much importance it should have in one’s life. It’s not over for A&B either. Chris has plans to post A&B parody poster in the future.
