An Abercrombie Invitation (and Flirting)…Are You In?

The hot gift from Abercrombie & Fitch... (and yes that is my Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince poster in the left background; the lego's structure in the right background is my attempt to make A&F Ginza out of the legos I had left over from my childhood...I was bored one day and thought, "Why not make A&F Ginza out of legos!").

I went into one of the Abercrombie & Fitch stores in my area the other day – I have freaking five A&F’s around me! How awesome! – and did myself a little Back-to-School 2011 shopping. Here in America, there’s the amazing 50% of redlines going on and I just couldn’t resist stocking up on last minute A&F gear! Well, I had an awesome time! One store model in particular left me completely “smitten”...we chatted, commented on how fast clothing sells when they go on clearance!, and shared memories - particularly after I mentioned the hectic December 26 (when the stores were JAMMED with post-Christmas shoppers). I remember that day more so because this model actually made a hilarious and playful (or was it flirtful) comment about my jammed-with-A&F-gift-cards wallet. He also bagged a leather belt I bought that day that has, from the get-go, long since been my favorite accessory from A&F. Honestly, this person is unforgettable.

Anyway, soon afterwards, I finished checking out all the FIERCE merchandise, and headed over to the cash wrap. I paid…and how much I paid is obscene, and my own business, I’ll just say (my friends criticize my spending)… I also had a little chat with the store manager about the new stuff going on. And out of the conversation, I came out with a special little envelope…

Dark gray, sealed, and Abercrombie seductive, it begged attention! It was of the very few she, the manager, had left and she handed it to me; it begged to be opened! The front is stamped with the “A&F / ARE YOU IN” logo of the season. On the back, it reads “Uncover our gift to you…” And so I opened the sexy little envelope – only Abercrombie can make an envelope come across sexy – carefully, slowly, cautiously… From the inside, I pulled out a quite hot promo card, inviting me back to Abercrombie & Fitch, for another exclusive round of a discount: “You’ve been selected. 25% off entire purchase…” A discount only for those with an invite in hand! How awesome is that! (Well, I call it an invite. What the hell else would you call this? It’s a gift-invite, right!).

With a smile on my face, I waved my goodbyes to the gorgeous girls at the cash wrap under the iconic Abercrombie moose head fixture. I got to the door for an exit (another cool shopping experience), but before I did, I was stunned by a jubilant voice behind me: “So what’d you end up getting?” I turned around and it is the store model …the store model…who interrupted a conversation with another person, the moment I was spotted walking to the door, to ask me, beaming and staring at me intently, what I had purchased (was that excitement I detected). Intrigued I cocked my head smirking, showed off my purchases (all the while glancing at each other), and got a “Sweet…” reply and an unusually warm good-bye that ended in a cute-killer smile…

Like I said, I’ve seen the hottie before so you bet I’ll be back with my invite to give the flirting another go…third time’s a charm, and with 25% off, my next visit to A&F will sure be even more FIERCE than before.

P.S. Oh, and the model is a guy. What can I say? I don’t discriminate. Like a favorite A&F tee of mine states, “Sexually liberal…”

P.S. P.S. The envelops were only given out in Abercrombie & Fitch stores throughout the United States and, thus, the discount is only valid for American purchases excluding those at the Fifth Avenue flagship store in NYC. The flirting, however, can happen to anyone hot enough worldwide! Stay FIERCE!

The back of the promo card...

The shirt that made him say, "Sweet..." very hot!

Muslim Girl Wins Legal Battle Against Abercrombie & Fitch...

It's been settled. The long, three-year lawsuit by Samantha Elauf (represented by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), on the grounds of religious discrimination, against Abercrombie & Fitch, has been settled. In 2008, the then 17 year-old Muslim girl was denied a position at her nearest abercrombie kids store in Woodland Hills Mall in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Why was she turned down? Simply because her Hijab supposedly didn't go with the Look Policy - the image the store models are supposed to project. Store associates aren't supposed to wear headwear, and the Policy allows for aspiring associates to request an exception. But the point, I figure, is that you shouldn't have to "require an exception" when it comes to religious matters.

This is so not the first time Abercrombie & Fitch has been under legal tensions for discrimination. Oh, no. In fact, its history from the late-1990s and early-2000s is plastered with claims of discrimination on all levels. The 2003 ruling in the Gonzales v. Abercrombie & Fitch case - "[Abercrombie & Fitch] violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by maintaining recruiting and hiring practices that excluded minorities and women and adopting a restrictive marketing image, and other policies, which limited minority and female employment" - was a landmark that has reshaped the Company in modern day. Why else do you think the Company now places an emphasis on diversity in its work environment? In the case of Ms. Elauf (represented by the EEOC), I guess old habits never die - do they, Abercrombie?

Nevertheless, there seemed to be no malice in the part of the managers. As Deon Riley of human resources for Abercrombie & Fitch commented, there are too many managers to be properly trained for the most "touchy" issues. The hijab just didn't fit with what corporate laid out as the associate look, and the managers simply followed policy. Elauf, who battled till the end, was given $20,000 USD. "We've kind of watched her grow," mentioned Barbara Seely from EEOC, "And she deserves every dime of compensatory damages that she will be getting." Naturally, A&F declined to comment...who doesn't decline to comment when they've faced loss of face? hmm. On a final note, Elauf stated, "stand up for yourself, and don't let anyone tell you you're not good enough to work somewhere."

P.S. Last year, in our A&F Sued Over Religious Discrimination post, we highlighted a previous, similar incident.

Even Justin Bieber had Himself Fitch Fever!

Mad skills with the Rubik’s Cube! Justin Bieber wearing abercrombie kids |Screenshot from Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, copyrighted (all rights reserved), used here for illustrative purposes only

Yes, the entire god forsaken word has Bieber Fever. But did you know that even Bieber had a Fitch Fever of his own? Whaaaat?

I love Justin Bieber as much as the next lunatic – well, not really because he kind of annoys me a little bit after a while – but I just now got around to watching his Never Say Never docu-concert flick. Yes, five months after it first hit theaters. Spare me the eye rolls, will you? Anyway, as I was watching it at the comfort of my home (and not in a theater jammed with screaming tween girls), I was amazed to find that even Bieber was a fan of the coolest brands in town!

Justin wears abercrombie kids and Hollister Co. in some footage featured of him in Never Say Never. The footage that was included in the film is from the time before his fame took off; back when it was taking off, more like it; and back when he was even scrawnier then he is now. I don’t know if anybody else took notice of this. (No, not his scrawniness, but that he wore abercrombie and HCo in the film)! What am I saying? You were all probably too preoccupied with his face or whatever.

Well, yes, the singing sensation that has teens the world over going ballistic over his phenomenal appeal was actually as ordinary as the rest of his crazed fans! He shopped at abercrombie kids and Hollister Co. Justin wears a pink abercrombie kids tee at 37 minutes into the film – the scene in which he plays with a Rubik cube showing just how smart the kid is! – and then he wears a Hollister tee under a black jacket  while performing at ‘Eddies Attic.’ Pretty cool, huh?

[Screams frantic fanatic]: “OMG! Justin Bieber wore abercrombie kids!” [Stampede of screaming girls into abercrombie and HCo stores worldwide]

Key word, “wore.” Celebrities don’t usually take to wearing clothing that makes them look like walking models or billboards for a particular label, and wearing something from abercrombie makes you just that. Needless to say, you won’t see much of Bieber wearing anything stitched with “abercrombie” or “HOLLISTER” on his chest anymore. His stylist sees to it that he wears ridiculous attire that does nothing to boost his image to that of his actual age…

Personally, my other obsession is Harry Potter, but chances of seeing Daniel Radcliffe in A&F are even lower than an eighth Potter book. But Potter is no singer. Lady Gaga is my favorite vocalist, and my “madré monstere” did reportedly wear a little A&F back in high school! But this is a post on Bieber! LOL So if you’ve got both Bieber Fever and Fitch Fever, then you’ve got a duality of FIERCE fanaticism going on my friend!

P.S. From the moment I first heard Somebody to Love, I always thought of it as a perfect tune for the abercrombie kids playlist! I replayed it over and over again just because it was so great and it reminded me of abercrombie kids!  No joke. And it was!  It was included in the Back-to-School 2010 playlist (from September to the end of October); it was Somebody to Love featuring Usher. Very nice, and it just comes to show that I am always right! Stay FIERCE!

Mr. Hollister preparing for a sing off! | Screenshot from Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, copyrighted (all rights reserved), used here for illustrative purposes only

Gilly Kicks Off Back-to-School With the Hottest Parties in Town!

You are invited to the hottest party in town, Gilly Girl! | Email promotional image, Gilly Hicks

WE LOVE GILLY!

To all you Gilly Girls out there...if you haven't heard, then you'll know now! What the koala am I talking about? The Gilly Hicks Private Party Tour!

That's right. Back-to-School 2011 is in session and Gilly is on a tour - she's throwing party after party in honor of her amazing Gilly Girls! And take note: there will be abs, abs ABS! Only the sexiest guys to make the festivities even better...take a picture with them to complete the experience and capture memories you won't want to forget!

Are you in? Who isn't! You can "reserve" your invite on the Gilly Hicks Girls page on Facebook - that or just show up, babe! Make sure that you're among the first 100 gals lined up at the door though so that you can receive a limited-edition Gilly Hicks Girls tee! Um, I'd be there way before hand if I were you. (Check store hours at your nearest Gilly Hicks store participating in the event). Here's when things are going Down Undie!...

Will this have you lined-up?! Private Party at Woodfield
Mall Shopping Center at Schaumburn, IL in May 2011
(image source)

July 24

• Roseville, California
• Houston, Texas
• Aurora, Illinois
• Farmington, Connecticut

July 31

• Tukwila, Washington
• Arcardia, California
• Natick, Massachussetts
• Schaumburg, Illinois

August 7

• West Nyack, New York
• San Antonio, Texas
• Glendale, California
• Orland Park, Illinois

August 14

• Lake Grove, New York
• Plano, Texas

August 25

• London, England (I have a suspicion that this Private Party is going to be HUGE!)

Parties, hotties, goodies, and more...Hey mates! Are things heating up in the Land of Down Undies or what?! Stay FIERCE, my friends!

Check out our Gilly Gets Private Down Under! post to read up on the first ever Private Party and to get an idea on how hot the upcoming ones will be!

After A&F Paris...the FIERCE Party Moves to Madrid!

Under cosntruction, yet still looking FIERCE! | (image source)

After its awesome opening in Paris last May, Abercrombie & Fitch is now gearing up to open its Madrid flagship store! Soon to be a new addition to the awesome line-up of A&F international locations, A&F Madrid has Spain head over heals. The company has not been very expressive on when it will open doors to A&F Madrid. Everyone is certain the the flagship will open before the summer is over...sometime in August was very likely. However, I have talked to some Madrilenians and it seems that A&F Madrid will open in November! Spaniard Abercrombie & Fitch fans are completely mad with the anticipation, but they all realize that the killer wait is worth it. "It is good to order the products online...But finally we'll have this store on our streets and we'll be able to enjoy the latest styles firsthand," so states Top Madrid, an online guide to Madrid...

Practically snack in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula, Madrid is the center of everything culture and cool! It is the ground of fantastic museums (art, art, ART!), restaurants, history, NIGHTLIFE!, and shopping, of course! Considering all this (and its zest and life), the city ranks as 10th in the world for the Most livable city as according to Monocle; it ranks as the 12th greenest city in Europe, if you care. Oh, and Madrid is a major European financial hub. With a populace of more than 3.2 million residents, it is the third largest city (behind London and Berlin) in the European Union; it remains the third city in Europe (behind London and Paris) when including its metropolitan area of 6.2 million people! There is no doubt about it: Madrid is a global city worthy of Abercrombie & Fitch!

It is within this global city that the Company has acquire the perfect location for its next great flagship. A&F Madrid is to be housed inside the beautiful No.5 structure located on exclusive Plaza del Marqués Salamanca at the corner of Salamanca and Calle de Ortega y Gasset. And let me tell you: A&F loves strategically placing its flagship stores on street corners. The position provides the perfect spot to showcase the brand by allowing it to prominently stand out in all its FIERCE glory. Oh, and stand out it does! For months now, the entire building has been hidden from public eyes by a towering construction wall plastered with imagery of half-naked males. (The photography is from Christmas 2009). Architectural renovations have been underway behind the wall "top-to-bottom." Abercrombie & Fitch has a penchant for high detail and design, and it strives to preserve the architectural heritage of every location is acquires for its flagships. There is a focus on restoring the original, significant aesthetics, all the while implementing the prototype for the iconic A&F flagships. Mike Jeffries (chairman and CEO, the man who made A&F what it is today) has called A&F Madrid "fantastic," so says CincoDias.

When complete, A&F Madrid will be a marvel to FIERCE shopping. The flagship is estimated (as of what we know so far) to offer up to 14,000 square feet. And while we are on the topic of figures, the leasing price is expected to be very high. Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca is one of the most exclusive slabs of pavement in all of Madrid; it is located in the upscale and historic Salamanca district, after all. Factor in the costs for the renovations and the expenses needed to operate the flagship store...yeah, a lot of €€€! That Abercrombie & Fitch will be in good company among such high-end retailers - Chanel and Louis Vuitton to give you an idea - is utterly priceless. After your shopping at A&F Madrid, maybe a drink at the nearby Moët & Chandon champagne bar will make the perfect rest after a day inside the hottest store in town...

P.S. If you just happen to be living in Madrid, Abercrombie & Fitch is currently still holding available positions for A&F Madrid.

The cream-colored structure on the right is the future home of A&F Madrid as seen before A&F acquired the location and began renovations | Screenshot from Google Maps used here for illustrative purposes only, Google logo and imagery copyrighted by Google Inc.

UPDATE (4 November 2011): A&F Madrid is now open! Read...

• FIERCE Madness! Abercrombie & Fitch Madrid Flagship Now Open!

Marketing Review | Back-to-School 2011: Going Back to School Has Never Looked Hotter!

It has finally arrived...Back-to-School 2011 is officially in stores, everyone! New jeans, new looks, and, of course, new photography to set the books on fire!

Here is our seasonal review of the marketing:

Abercrombie & Fitch Back-to-School 2011 | Photography by Bruce Weber

•Abercrombie & Fitch: The A&F photography for this season (Facebook gallery) takes the concept of timelessness to a whole other level. The appeal is completely enthralling; it welcomes your mind into an eternal fantasy that is unwavering in dream. Fair haired and chiseled, the primary male model stands caught in a state lost in aspirations, contemplation, and dreams of youth. The individual male and female forms in classic A&F sweatpants present to us yet a another iconic presentation of the both ideal bodies; the male is rugged and upholding in virility; the female is gracefully posed and curved, inviting, yet not ostentatious, to her femeninity. Running along with the theme of timelessness, it's also fair to say that A&F got "schooled" in vintage for its latest collection. It has included into its Back-to-School collection two shots from previous fashion seasons: A&F Spring 2009 and RUEHL No.925 Christmas 2009 - the couple kissing and the female sitting, respectively. Typically, I have always found recycling marketing a nuisance, but it actually works well this time around. You are more than welcome to get lost in this euphoric FIERCE fantasy...Are you in?

abercrombie back-to-school 2011 | Photography by Bruce Weber

•abercrombie: With innocence and the graceful beauty of youth, this collection (Facebook gallery) comes across as aesthetically pleasing and timeless (just like it's older sibling). There is no smiling - there is no hugging or jumping around. All there is is pose, and that is what makes this photography powerful. With that alone, the imagery wholeheartedly embodies and exudes the romanticism of eternal childhood. On that note, I want to point out that the models are obviously not even children - teens, yes. But that is a part of what makes the photography so strong; that it - the models, really - has the power to radiate said childhood youth and innocence with pose and nothing more. It may not be excited, but it is euphoric - wonderful on another tangent cool. I wanted to end this review of abercrombie kids with that last sentence, but I have to make last comment. On the abercrombie kids official Facebook page, one fan made the ignorant comment that the female model looked like she had Down Syndrome. WTF? First of, no she does not. If you take the model's expressive stare as such, then you obviously lack in culture and maturity. And that is what I dislike about many fans, that they fail to take the photography as more than just "eye-candy;" it's art. And lastly, she isn't, but what if she actually was? How beautiful would that actually be?

Hollister Co. Back-to-School 2011 | Photography by Bruce Weber

•Hollister Co: There is no denying it, HCo has surfed into the season completely awe-inspiring. So cool, so bright, this collection of photography (Facebook gallery) captures the fantasy of the Hollister brand unlike any before. The images seem like postcards - vintage, romantic - sent to us from an ideal SoCal beyond reality. There is such clarity, purity in the photos - a new, passionate and focused, strong and never-off view into the romance that is Hollister. Such photography allow us a clearer look into said fantasy (much unlike the previous shots of seasons past). Needless to say, the days of sepia-toned photography seem to be over. Fans of the old photography, you need to open your minds and let in the brilliance of a new and re-invigorating image of SoCal cool. I personally used to dislike Hollister, but it has come to amaze me with its new found resilience. The male model - Chad Buchanan - commands the campaign with his compelling FIERCE stare and pose - his eyes say it all. The female model, on the other hand, is second rate in performance in comparison. The one shot of the Dude and Betty embracing love and kissing in a moment of time-passing romance is the most profound photo in this collection - a collection that may just be the best out of the entire brands...

Gilly Hicks Back-to-School 2011

•Gilly Hicks: OMG! It's cute and clean-cut...I'll give it that much. Other than that, Gilly Hicks is just disappointing (Facebook gallery). Never mind that the male model (Jimmy Brighton) has been featured in the previous Spring-Summer season, but that the female model (Ashley L.) is once again on board is just plain annoying to the point of boredom. We have seen her face since exactly a year ago (in Back-to-School 2010) in simple photography used to promote bras online. And then the Company had the nerve use this unimpressive photography for Spring-Summer 2011; it dragged on for nearly six months! Six months! We had to stare at her - Jimmy, too - and the dull photos for six months! Adding insult to injury, Ashley and Jimmy return. Same-looking shots, just a slightly different background...wow. The photography is just so unimpressive that i even wonder if it is even Bruce Weber's work - probably some cheaper, lower-rate photographer. Where has Gilly Hicks come to? Where has the original, breathtaking photography - Australian-inspired, evoking an aspirational Aussie fantasy of Down Under beauty and heat - gone? I'll tell you where: not in the Land of Down Undies - that's for sure.

Interesting to note is how the main images for Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister complement one another...

Now how hot is that?

 In conclusion, this is an phenomenal campaign (ignoring the annoyances of Gilly Hicks that she never fails to provide). We are totally excited for Back-to-School! We all know what we'll be daydreaming about in class...Stay FIERCE, my friends!

All photography featured in this post is by Bruce Weber. It is used solely for illustrative purposes and the photographer reserves the copyright.

Prepping Up For A&F in Germany, Travel Book in Hand!

Abercrombie in Bremen! The guy on the right wears a classic A&F tee | Image from Discover Germany, Lonely Planet, pg.320

There has been quite a few stuff going on in Germany that have made news worldwide: the salmonella outbreaks; the nuclear power protests; the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup; and the awesome store openings for Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch, of course! Well I have always loved Germany. The nation, its people, and culture have been hugely influential throughout history since Roman times. And now that Abercrombie & Fitch is making further way in, I really wanted to get acquainted with it again...albeit through colorful, eye-opening books - Discover Germany by Lonely Planet is such a book...

Let me tell you something: Lonely Planet books are the most amazing in the travel literature out there! If you're aching to get fantastic insights into the coolest places on the planet, then pick yourself up a copy from Lonely Planet. These books are like candy to a travel-lover! But anyway. What does this have anything to do with Abercrombie & Fitch?

As I made my way through the perfect 400 page tome - there it was - Abercrombie & Fitch! There is a picture of a guy wearing a tee stamped with "ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH" (on page 320). The picture was taken right next to the Knight Roland statue in Bremen. And it isn't as if the picture was taken on purpose by Lonely Planet - of course not; it just happened to include the guy and his A&F tee by chance. This only comes to show you how strong the consumer base is for the Company throughout Germany. I mean, if there's fans in Bremen enough to of had one fan photographed for a travel book, then image the much greater fan base throughout the land! Cool, huh?

I took the picture as best as I could at the time. I really wanted to take a picture of the picture as clearly as possible so that everyone could read the tee shirt. Unfortunately, I couldn't but you can still make out the "ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH"....

Abercrombie & Fitch opens doors to its Dusseldorf flagship store in December! Stay FIERCE!

Abercrombie & Fitch in Germany, are you ready? I am!

Cool New Boxer Briefs for the Guys!

Hey guys! Have you checked out the all new boxer brief styles now available at the stores? They're awesome!

Boxer briefs from the Flagstaff Mountain collection at Abercrombie & Fitch
abercrombie.com | (image source)

Abercrombie & Fitch gives your package wrapping a FIERCE look with its Flagstaff Mountain collection. The waistbands come in solid gray or navy for definitive, outstanding masculine punch! The underwear styles come in thin or broad stripes for further cool appeal, and in solid colors for more uniformity. Sophisticated and classic, they bring confidence down under the waist line... Priced at $24.50 USD, these boxer briefs are constructed of 94% cotton and 6% spandex material. There isn't a "buy two for $$$" deal, though, like the previous spring styles. It sucks, but the underwear doesn't and it is totally worth the money!

Boxer briefs from the Del Mar collection at Hollister
hollisterco.com | (image source)

Hollister Co...damn! The brand seriously took its boxer briefs to the drawingboards to give them a rocking new appeal! The result? The amazing new Del Mar collections that are a killer departure from their predecesors - they'll be surfing into your top drawer for sure! The waistbands have been updated with a solid navy look and embroidered with awesome Hollister logo details. That makes the Del Mar boxer briefs amazingly appealing; they make their previous cousins look completely ugly! Like at A&F, these new HCo underwear styles come in thin or standard-sized stripes, and in solid colors. Unlike A&F, they are priced at $16 USD invididually - or you can buy two for $20 USD! How sweet is that?!

Boxer briefs from the bartlett ridge at abercrombie kids
abercrombiekids.com | (image source)

Abercrombie kids: I normally review its styles after Abercrombie & Fitch, but Hollister demanded the number two spot! Nevertheless, the kids are all right! The bartlett ridge collection from abercrombie kids follow in the lines of its older sibling, duh, but with just little variations on a theme...These are also priced at $16 USD a pop or you can purchase two for $20 USD. If you are past the age of 14, but fit in a small at HCo and A&F, you can still fit into an XL at abercrombie kids...save yourself some cash if you're on a budget and the label doesn't matter to you! Cool, huh?

What are you waiting for? Get you butt into the stores today!

Check out our previous post, Pop-Out Your Package: Spring Underwear for Men!

Hold on to Your Jeans! Back-to-School 2011 is Gonna Rock Your Pants!

Forget the books! You'll need the money for the hottest jeans new jeans to hit campus! (image source: 1 | 2)

You heard right, boys and girls! Get excited because Back-to-School 2011 is gonna be HUGE!

On July 5, both Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister Co. announced their plans to heat things up come July 16! The brands are gearing up to launch what can only be described as revolutionary...This Back-to-School season, new jeans are in session! According to both brands, they have taken their jeans back to the drawing boards and given them a new appeal that's gonna rock your look on campus! A&F and HCo are completely stoked to be introducing to you their newly redesigned jeans strategically developed to hit stores for the BTS season.

And that is not all, my friends. Oh no it is not! Not only are they bringing out new jeans to give you the perfect butt, but they're also going to hook up some lucky fans with awesome tech gear for school - a competition to get things interesting. It's Back-to-School after all, and every one needs a nice computer to type up that history essay the night before it's due! So Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister are going to be awarding an Apple Macbook Air (valued at $999 USD) and Apple Macbook (valued at $999 USD), respectively, to one winner every hour from 12:00pm to 12:00am (EST) of every day (12 winners per day, 252 computers to dish out!). How amazing is that, everyone! The conpetition will last from July 16 to August 5 (or while supplies last). I am sorry to report to my international readers that this contest is only available to legal residents of the US or DC.

I had been wondering for a long while over what the Company would come up with that would top off the Back-to-School season of 2010...who can forget the amazing Screen Test and the return of the A&F Quarterly! That season set the bar up high, and I think that bar is about to be knocked down! The Company is really excited over the launch of Back-to-School 2011 and it is promising to leave us in awe!

Go ahead and check out the Abercrombie & Fitch promotional microsite for the BTS campaign: areyouin.abercrombie.com. Also, take a sec to surf into the Hollister BTS microsite: ready.hollisterco.com. Both sites have a countdown ticking away towards the big day...

Are you ready!?! Are you in!?! Because I sure am! Mark your calendars everyone...July 16 is gonna be a day you won't wanna miss!!!

A&F Paris Video is Party Awesome!

What's going on? A FIERCE party - that's what! | Screenshot from A&F Paris Opening Day (image source)

Surely you all have checked out the promo video for the latest Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store - A&F Paris Opening Day? It's a cool short clip - 1 min/35 sec - that captures all the FIERCE fun that went down on that amazing May 19th in Paris. Romantically, accoustically, it begins with a beautiful overhead daytime shot of the City of Lights and then it swoops down to the flagship, cuts to a shot of the Arc de Triomphe, and then returns (festive music pumping) with hot shots of the models on opening day! Past the grand gates and up the walkway, the video takes us into A&F Paris where the party was raising the roof! Customers take photos with the store greeter Chris in front of the hot mural in the entrance hall, while other shoppers check out the amazing interior and the all-American goods on display for the loot! Gorgeous models dance the day away, show off their sexy smiles, and chat up with the stoked FIERCE fans! Fantastic views abound as the camera sweeps across the screen with panoramic shots of the expansive interior (especially at 54 seconds into the clip)! And I also completely love the peace sign the model throws up at 1:02 minute into the clip - awesome!

The video is really beautiful...maybe because the flagship is beautiful!!! However, I couldn't help but roll my eyes as found the song - We Like to Party by Swoop -  so corny at first (when the lyrics started playing)....only A&F! But I know and understand what they were going for, ofcourse. I just wasn't expecting that song for the video; it's not corny, it's fun! So fun, in fact, that it puts a smile on my face everytime I watch it! Furthermore, there's notably more diversity in the film than in any previous one. This particular video also implements new filming techniques and effects that have not before been used in the editing of any other previous flagship promotional film...A&F Paris is a first of many things.

P.S. Yes, Abercrombie & Fitch actually came out with this video about a month ago but I didn't have the time to check it out until like two weeks ago! I typed up part of this post immediately after I watched it, but again I didn't have the time to finish it and post until today. Besides, I was also busy trying to complete the HCo and R925 pages for you to enjoy so give a blogger a break! haha. Stay FIERCE!

Beautiful, gorgeous smiles! Isn't the blonde beauty breathtaking by the way?!
Screenshot from A&F Paris Opening Day (image source)

Hollister Bags in a Gilly Treat!

The hot promo card handed out to lucky Betty shoppers at Hollister stores throughout the United States.

Hollister Bettys were handed more than just their purchased goods at Hollister two weeks ago in the USA. As a promotional move to help spread spread awareness of the brand, Bettys shoppers received a nice little  promotional card from Gilly Hicks. The card featured a sexy photo of models Ashley L. and Jimmy Brighton getting close and intimate on the front; the back stated, "See why Hollister Dudes date Gilly Hicks Girls" and offered a promo code for 20% at gillyhicks.com. Hollister provides the tees and jeans, but an HCo girl also needs Down Undies!

This is a very smart promotional move, however slow - quite ironic. How so? Ever since 2007 (weeks before the launch of Gilly Hicks in 2008), I thought about how great it would be for the Company to place some sort of cards or promo material in the bags of female Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and Ruehl shoppers. Throughout the Company's consumer base, it would have raised awareness for the Gilly Hicks brand. The idea must have not crossed Abercrombie & Fitch's mind. (I swear I need to be working at Home Office!). It actually took the Company more than two years to actually come up with the idea, obviously, because they just now started the strategy. That's why it's slow. (I even posted the above image on the GH official Facebook page just to voice this thought out to the Company).

Nevertheless, the awareness for the Cheeky Cousin of Abercrombie & Fitch is ever more growing! In June, the brand surpassed the 100,000 mark for likes on Facebook. Annoyingly, it seems to be that the majority of these "Gilly Hicks Girls" are in their teens. When the brand first came out, it was all about skin and sex appeal of beautiful young adult women and the men that they enjoy in the Australian setting. In other words, GH was initially a woman's brand (not a place for immature teens). And the promo in Hollister isn't helping in that respect; it's just going to bring in more of a high tide of little girls who don't even have the maturity to value the worth of the GH image - they couldn't even tell you who Bruce Weber is, let alone comment on his renown work, or even appreciate the incredible details that go into the creation of every GH store. And the marketing now is toned down and dull as if reflecting and accommodating to this consumer base...As long as Gilly is happy (with shoppers storming her Land of Down Undies), I'm happy as well I guess. (Scratch that out; it pisses me off, but there's nothing I can do about it)...

With 20%, I figured I could use the offer to my advantage - calculator in hand. Standard shipping in the US is $10 for orders under $100. So if I purchased $50 worth of goods and apply the 20% off, then I'll only pay up $40 and use the extra $10 for the shipping! Smart, huh! If you missed out on the Gilly treats at the pier, than that is just too bad...

P.S. Apart from the promo cards, hollisterco.com has a Bras and Undies page under its Bettys division that also promotes the brand. And no you don't find an offer for 20% off there. Sorry. :( Abercrombie & Fitch also promoted GH in its stores, and also has a page on abercrombie.com for it, but this post just happened to be focused on HCo...