Abercrombie and Fitch ad controversy explained as brand deletes campaign amid obesity backlash

Abercrombie & Fitch recently became the topic of debate on social media after posting an image that was meant to show that their brand is plus-size friendly.

The campaign included a blonde model wearing the brand’s latest collection. As the clothing giant attempted to announce that they also cater to larger sizes, netizens slammed them for promoting an unhealthy lifestyle.

For the campaign, Abercrombie & Fitch uploaded an image of a plus-size woman wearing shorts and a tank top to Facebook and Instagram. The post went viral on social media.

Netizens gathered that the image was an advertisement, but the clothing brand claimed that it was not a marketing campaign. They said in a statement to The Post on Monday:

“Abercrombie is often tagged by our customers on social media and we love to celebrate them by reposting their images to our channels. This is one of those occasions.”

After amassing asoaring backlash on social media, the company silently deleted the post from their social media platforms.

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Netizens criticize Abercrombie & Fitch for featuring plus size woman on social media

Internet users did not hold back and criticized the brand relentlessly on Twitter. Many stated that the company was simply trying to be woke, to garner positive traction. Several netizens criticized the American lifestyle line for apparently supporting obesity and unhealthy eating habits.

Some users called the brand out for posing the models in a way that's unflattering and said that they don't think the company believes in "body positivity." One user even said that the brand uses overweight women to shock their audience."

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Abercrombie & Fitch gets canceled for exclusively featuring thin models

In 2015, the Ohio-based clothing brand received massive backlash for exclusively featuring thin models in advertisements. The Sunday Times reported that the brand’s website had a waist-to-hip ratio of lesser than .4 which is “considered by nutritionists to be the minimum safe level.”

That the same year, Victoria’s Secret also amassed criticism for featuring unhealthy body standards where the bikini-clad “angels” looked concerningly thin.

Both brands were criticized for encouraging young girls and women to adopt unhealthy eating habits that could possibly lead to eating disorders in order to pursue an unrealistic body type.

Earlier this year, Netflix also released a documentary titled White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch. The documentary explored how the brand was the furthest away from being inclusive.

The exposé shed light on the discriminatory recruiting process which hired only “good- looking people.” The brand also allegedly had a weekly ranking system for employees, where their appearances were marked on a scale of “cool to rocks.”

The brand’s former CEO Mike Jeffries was also exposed for his non-inclusive vision for the brand. Jeffries allegedly exclaimed at the company headquarters- “we need to make this dude look more like a dude” and “we don’t want her to look too butch.”

The clothing brand was also slaughtered for it’s “Look Policy” which claimed that employees must follow a “classic East Coast collegiate style” dress code. The organization reportedly banned all types of headgear and disregarded religious affiliation.

The same was revealed by the brand’s potential employee Samantha Elauf, who applied for the job. However, she went on to decline the same as she would not be allowed to wear her head scarf during working hours.

It seems like Abercrombie is now doing their best to erase their past and develop a brand for themselves which will be inclusive to all.