American Apparel Responds to Inquiry From UK Advertising Standards Authority
03 September 2009 - 3:33AM
PR Newswire (US)
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Apparel
(AMEX: APP) has agreed that it will no longer use a UK
advertisement after an Advertising Standards Authority request
stemming from an offended viewer. The ad, which appeared on the
back page of VICE's Vol 7.4 issue, featured a female model wearing
an American Apparel Flex Fleece zip hoody in a series of simple
photographs. Responding to a single citizen complaint about the ad,
the UK Advertising Standards Authority found that the 23-year old
model had collaborated and consented to appear in the photos, but
that the sexual nature had the potential to offend some people.
"American Apparel is well known for its provocative
advertisements," said Brent Chase, American Apparel's UK operations
manager. "Our models are real girls who are often employees or
friends of the company. They do their own hair and makeup and
aren't Photoshopped. From time to time people are made
uncomfortable by this, and it occasionally causes an unfortunate
reaction." While the company has decided to comply with the
advertising authority's request that it not use the ad again,
American Apparel emphasized that negative reactions are often the
natural result of artistic or cultural expression, noting that its
"Legalize LA" and "Legalize Gay" advertisements, which take
positions on immigration reform and gay marriage, also upset some
people. American Apparel pointed out that it only places its
provocative advertising in appropriate publications. In this
instance, VICE is a magazine that features lifestyle photography
and cultural commentary, and whose young urban audience mirrors
American Apparel's customer base. American Apparel currently
advertises in 20 different countries, rarely resulting in
complaints from their respective advertising standards bodies, and
this inquiry is one of those sporadic instances. American Apparel's
aesthetic has earned international acclaim. In 2009, the Cassandra
Report awarded American Apparel its top honor for print
advertising, and American Apparel CEO Dov Charney was named
Marketer of the Year at the first ever LA Fashion Awards in 2005.
Last year, American Apparel's advertising was partly responsible
for The Guardian's decision to anoint the company "Label of the
Year" in an article that called American Apparel "a fashion
sensation." American Apparel will continue to express itself
through photography, art, and design as the company grows in the
UK. Although it does not seek to offend anyone, it recognizes that
some minor discomfort may occasionally accompany the process of
questioning various beauty norms and standards within the fashion
industry. About American Apparel American Apparel is a vertically
integrated manufacturer, distributor, and retailer of branded
fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California. As
of July 31, 2009, American Apparel employed approximately 10,000
people and operated over 275 retail stores in 20 countries,
including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United
Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the
Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan,
South Korea, and China. American Apparel also operates a leading
wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other
casual wear to distributors and screen printers. In addition to its
retail stores and wholesale operations, American Apparel operates
an online retail e-commerce website at
http://www.americanapparel.com/ DATASOURCE: American Apparel
CONTACT: Marsha Brady of American Apparel, +1-213-488-0226, ext.
1676, Web Site: http://www.americanapparel.com/
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