Abercrombie & Fitch Continues to Push Envelope

Abercrombie & Fitch is at it again!

Virginia Beach residents contacted police officials after entering a local Abercrombie & Fitch store to find provocative, sexualized advertising they deemed inappropriate for children and teens, the store’s primary clientele.

A&F posters in the Lynnhaven Mall depicted scantily clad young men and women, one revealing a model’s upper buttocks and another exposing a woman’s breast except the nipples.

In response to customers’ complaints, police confiscated the two displays and cited the manager on a misdemeanor obscenity charge. After further review, however, police and legal experts agreed the images do not violate obscenity standards.

“While these posters are clearly not obscene as defined by law, this is Abercrombie’s attempt, once again, to push the envelope as far as possible,” said Jack Samad, senior vice president of the National Coalition.

In 2003, the National Coalition spearheaded a boycott against the clothing company for its Christmas Field Guide that promoted risky sexual behavior to teens. The campaign, supported by tens of thousands of people, gave A&F no choice but to pull the catalog from its shelves.

“For years, Abercrombie & Fitch has forced this advertising on its customers in an attempt to be creative and desensitize young people. They are selling a philosophy of sexuality that not only doesn’t work but also is harmful.”

The National Coalition will continue to monitor Abercrombie & Fitch and encourage them to advertise responsibly.

Click here to read an ABC News article featuring the National Coalition on this topic.