Coming soon to a mall near you, Abercrombie & Fitch, known for their racy, "soft-porn" advertising is at it again, this time with a new spin-off retail store called Gilly Hicks, poised to sell underwear. Like A&F, the mode of advertising aimed at attracting young people is indeed, soft-porn. So, be warned and be prepared! According to reports, the Gilly Hicks website offers an advertisement video of romping and swimming topless girls and naked boys.
Gilly Hicks Backstory Is a Fiction to Sell Sexual Fantasies to Teens
As opposed to the stated goal of selling "The Finest Underwear Ever Made", the Gilly Hicks pitch is more of a lifestyle appeal, namely: "You're 16, and you are therefore a walking-talking hormone engine, so why not visit our website, declare yourself at least 18 and watch our semi-soft-porn vignette?
(In the video there is) nudity, plus an implied liaison between a topless WASP mermaid and an altogether underwear-free beach boy with a butt carved from stone. Product showcase this isn't. No, it's an exercise in sexual fantasy -- one that should be completely transparent to the target generation reputed for being able to see through all manner of marketing come-ons.
Source: Advertising Age
http://adage.com/garfield/post?article_id=125578
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