Decency Advocate Urges Action Protesting A&F's Sensual In-Store Ads
by Ed Thomas
September 7, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A pro-family organization that once led a campaign against suggestive images used in advertising by specialty retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) says the company is once again crossing the line. This time the American Decency Association (ADA) is recommending to its supporters that they send a message that will hit Abercrombie & Fitch where it hurts. ADA President Bill Johnson says while A&F's catalogue images and in-store advertising are not as sexually provocative and erotic as several years ago, "some of the displays that they now have in their stores are concerning." This includes in-store wall displays depicting male and female models that are either partially or completely nude.
"One is a bare-chested male with no underwear, with pants unzipped," Johnson recalls. "That is certainly one of the great concerns. And another is that there's a life-sized poster of a young female with hands over her bare breasts," he says.
The ADA spokesman says he has received word from A&F patrons who were ignored when they complained that they were offended by these images, or who received in response to their complaints e-mails that also contained sensual images of partially clothed teens. Johnson suggests that concerned Christians respond to A&F's arrogance and disregard for decency by contacting the company to protest; but he also feels that, as good stewards, many can go even further.
"On our web page at AmericanDecency.org, we do actually have a list of the large ten mutual funds of Abercrombie & Fitch," the pro-family group's leader notes. "So that, of course, is our hope here, that people will pull their moneys away from the mutual funds that are attached to Abercrombie & Fitch and place them with clean investing."
Such an approach worked well in a recent campaign against Victoria's Secret, Johnson notes. In that case, he says, ADA's advocacy helped to divert over a million dollars from mutual funds invested in that company.
Ed Thomas, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
