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| A&F Screen Test ad featuring model Justin Hopwood. |
There was much anticipation, and speculation, for the Back-to-School 2010 fashion season at Abercrombie & Fitch. It is the most elaborate marketing campaign to date for the company. It was the return of the A&F Quarterly, the launch of the unforgettable 'Screen Test' contest and a series of fantastic films that capture the spirit of the campaign. There were also sales, too! [Gasp!] Let's not forget the Chasing the Perfect and Shopping Spree campaigns for Hollister Co. and abercrombie kids (respectively), either! Yes, BTS 2010 will go down in the History of Abercrombie & Fitch as the most memorable ever - for the customer because of all those chiseled abs and discounts, but for the Home Office because of the heaven-sent (and much more than expected) rise in sales. Nearing the end of the BTS season, A&F has come out has the triumphant winner above all its competition. By the end of October, the company reported a 13% increase in same-store sales that, as MarketWatch puts it, "[...] blew Wall Street projections to the sky." It also reported a whopping 25% increase in net sales to $305.3 million and its shares climbed to nice $42.03 on the NYSE. Needless to say, the rest of its trashy competitors did not even come close enough to emulate the same success.
Before the launch of Screen Test, I reviewed multiple analysts’ reports on their thoughts as to what effect the return of the Quarterly and its campaign would have on sales. Many claimed it would be minor - that it was a desperate attempt on A&F's behalf that would not amount to much. But as we all know [being those who are young enough to understand] ass and bright smiles bring attention and mullah...and, Abercrombie & Fitch, you know what to do so keep the ball rolling...
Check out the report for yourself below (if you care to read the entire thing)...
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/research-on-abercrombie-fitch-co-and-american-eagle-outfitters-inc-back-to-school-sales-positive-2010-10-08?reflink=MW_news_stmp
