How is Abercrombie Marketing to Every Consumer and Body Type?

 As the forefront brand of the 2000’s, Abercrombie & Fitch was all the rage. Their sweatshirts were a must have and if you didn’t own a pair of Abercrombie jeans, you weren’t shopping at the right places.

Fast forward to the present, it is obvious the overhaul that was performed. No more shirtless models in the stores. No more oversprayed fragrance. No more limited sizing. 

Millennials worshipped Abercrombie in the 2000s and instead of continuing the path of Abercrombie marketing to the next generation (Gen Z), they followed the Millennials into adulthood instead.

Most millennials are now in their mid 30s. Shirtless models greeting you at the store don’t intrigue this specific audience anymore - for adults, it would just be strange now. 

What they crave now is professional clothing: anything that they can wear to work or on a simple night out. So, what did Abercrombie do? They made clothes for them!

The Abercrombie marketing strategy aims to offer clothing for all body types in all sectors of clothing. Lines of curvy bottoms were created and business casual collections bloomed for those in the job market. 

The rebrand was introduced to provide clothing that every consumer can wear and enjoy. 

Staples For Millennials to Gen Z 

Since Abercrombie & Fitch’s rebrand, they have transformed from casual to business casual. With this transition, they have managed to reach the Gen Z audience as their online presence targets those between 18-24. 

Within that age range spawns young professionals gearing up to enter the job market. As Gen Z enters the workforce, the need for business casual/professional clothing rises. Staples such as bodysuits, dress pants, and sweaters are highly requested. 

With Gen Z now invested, there is no better opportunity than to sell them comfort staples and colors. Matching sweat sets are in trend and are extremely popular within the Abercrombie brand. 

As they better understand the customers they attract to their store, better profits are a result ($1.2 billion in third quarter sales 2024). 

Curve Love Line

Abercrombie’s marketing strategy has been focused on inclusion as not all customers are the same size. One of Abercrombie’s biggest successes has been their “Curve Love” line of jeans. After all, the average American woman is a size 16 or 18. Abercrombie has taken their beloved style of jeans and offered them in a curvy version. 

Abercrombie has entered an underserved market, creating a newfound appreciation for the brand. This approach reinforces their mission of customers feeling comfortable, confident, and stress-free. 

Abercrombie is reaching more consumers than ever before with this line. They are no longer seen as the brand with unrealistic sizing and unrealistic expectations – they are a brand that fosters inclusivity for all customers. 

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Before their rebrand, Abercrombie & Fitch focused its marketing strategies to “cool kids,” as per their former CEO, Mike Jeffries. He even claimed that Abercrombie marketing strategies were exclusionary as not everyone should fit in their clothes. 

Fran Horowitz took over as CEO in 2017 and began their rebrand. They no longer excluded customers, they accepted all customers and more. Their Curve Love line of pants were launched and specifically designed for customers who needed extra room for their hips. 

Abercrombie’s marketing materials were also different from their previous years. Instead of photographing only thin girls and muscular men, they are inclusive of all body types. It is now rare for the brand to not utilize models of all shapes and sizes.

It was important that diversity was implemented in all aspects of the brand, not just in promotional material. Of their corporate employees, 60% are women and 60% identify as people of color. This is a stark contrast from the culture present under Mike Jeffries. 

Online Shopping Presence

As expected, not every store can carry every size and style. That would not be doable as it depends on the demand of the product and variety of products offered in store. These limitations encourage customers to turn to the website and buy online as an alternative. 

After the pandemic, online shopping has only grown. It is easier and more efficient as customers have the entire Abercombie catalogue at their disposal. 

Whether customers use their app or their website, they have access to see how clothing looks like on the models. They can then determine whether they like something before they buy it. 

Sales and prices are also clearly displayed on the home page and on each item's page. Abercrombie marketing strategies now include exclusive online sales and items.

Email Marketing

One thing Abercrombie excels at is their email marketing. When a customer receives an email from them, it has a clear headline, with their latest being, “Can't miss 20-50% OFF literally everything.” It is intriguing and encourages the consumer to open the email.

Once the email is opened, it has styles the company thinks you would enjoy and sometimes highlights their latest collections. With tailored content, it shows the effort that is put into their material and how they value their customers. 

With companies producing emails every day, it is refreshing to have simplistic emails that reflect your shopping patterns. 

NFL Collaboration

It may seem like the Abercrombie marketing campaign has steered away from the male audience, but that is far from the truth. Abercrombie & Fitch have designed and released an exclusive, licensed collaboration with the NFL (National Football League) to sell t-shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts to their audience. 

With this opportunity, all genders are included and all 32 NFL teams are represented. They even got 49ers linebacker, Fred Warner, to model for the shoot.

This collaboration gives Abercrombie & Fitch a leg up when it comes to NFL merchandise. The styles are innovative and nothing like what you would see in typical NFL gear. It is even more efficient as customers are able to walk into an Abercrombie store, and walk out with their favorite team’s sweatshirt. 

What’s Next?

It is hard to compare Abercrombie & Fitch to any other retail company. The inclusion overhaul has brought in an influx of customers and helped change the way customers perceive the Abercrombie brand. When a brand can offer every customer something, you know they are doing something right. 

With the Abercrombie marketing strategy as successful as ever, maintaining it is essential. The use of models of all sizes should never disappear and their Curve Love line should continue to be implemented across all of their clothing lines.

Brands should take note on what a successful rebrand looks like. If they are not doing it like Abercrombie & Fitch, strategy needs to change. 

✍️ Written by Samantha Levine