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Idk, as someone whose educational background is heavy on media theory and cultural studies.. i think there is some depth. Whether it was an intentional dogwhistle, I'm not so sure, but the conversation is relevant and could accidentally embolden the wrong crew. This is how brands or people get accidentally supported by neo-nazis - by saying something that makes them feel "seen" whether it was the intention or not. As PR practitioners, I think this is exactly the conversation we should be having and the risks we should be assessing when planning campaigns 🤷♀️ i would have clocked this immediately and shut it down if I were at AE personally, but im also a big fat leftist
@Manager Having been in a couple similar rooms in the past, I find it most likely that no one involved understood the implications of the slogan before it ran, and now that they do, they want to make the most of the turmoil.
It's cringe and dumb and meant to spark controversy. They knew what they were doing.
Coach
was it even meant to spark controversy? I feel like even that is a stretch
The fact they didn’t do a fast follow with models/influential voices of different backgrounds, shapes, and sizes is evidence enough that they meant for this outcome and they more than likely wanted to both embolden the audiences they did and lean into “cancel culture” to propel their brand into the spotlight. Mission accomplished. What works for them is the demo who primarily buys their products is likely to not care about anyone who would be sensitive to the message.
I definitely think they could have quickly followed with other models of color to change the outcome of this. I was a little surprised at their response to it all and that they still chose to continue with the campaign.
I think the fact that many neo nazis and self described white supremacists have taken so closely with the ad is proof in itself that it is, in fact, that deep.
@ manager - same thing as I said above but as a PR professional its pretty important to know interpretation matters far more than intention. If no one in the boardroom realized that it could be taken the wrong way, thats does not reflect well on their expertise. If they chose to overlook it - that's complacency worthy of criticism.
It is kind of amazing how people who are way too online can spout off on TikTok and the entire media has to turn it into something. In a weird way, I get where people are coming from, as the "for you" tab on Twitter now is a cornucopia of white nationalist trolling. So people are seeing that stuff a lot without wanting to, and I could see how some people would think they're even seeing it in a jeans ad. But come on people, get a grip!
Lol not to mention the complete obliviousness of those people about how budweiser has vocally supported LGBTQ+ people for literal decades, even before doing so was as mainstream as it is now
I read through the headlines but kept my focus on actual fit and quality, so I tested the jeans during a full day of errands and they performed just like any other denim. It's a jeans and that's it.
Coach
I used to wear AE jeans and I always liked them. But agree nothing over the top amazing.
The outrage industry is real.
Gotta fuel the rage to get attention
Regardless of people’s perceptions smart companies address these situations right away. AE is a big public company and has a fiduciary duty to its different stakeholders including customers employees and shareholders to clarify anything that gets out of hand.
I was a little surprised they kept the campaign running and didn't pull it given the backlash.