Abercrombie to Jersey Shore’s ‘The Situation’: Stop wearing our clothes
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Abercrombie & Fitch has offered a lucrative marketing deal to Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino of MTV’s ‘Jersey Shore.’
But don’t expect any GTL logo tank tops soon. The Situation may have the ripped body of an Abercrombie model, but the high-end teen chain wants the reality television star to stop wearing its clothing.
In a news release titled, ‘Abercrombie & Fitch proposes a win-win situation,’ the retailer, through its Brand Senses department, said:
‘We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino’s association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans. We have therefore offered a substantial payment to Michael ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino and the producers of MTV’s The Jersey Shore to have the character wear an alternate brand. We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response.’
In an interview with The Times, Abercrombie senior counsel David Cupps declined to say how much money the company had offered The Situation, who had not yet responded. Cupps said the offer was not a publicity stunt and that Sorrentino ‘is not brand-appropriate.’
When asked if he was concerned that the company was picking and choosing who could wear its clothing, Cupps said: ‘I think that’s not an issue.’
‘Abercrombie & Fitch’ and ‘The Situation’ quickly became trending topics on Twitter, with users chiming in on the offer and pointing out that the chain has sold a ‘Fitchuation’ shirt -- an apparent play on Sorrentino’s nickname.
“Abercrombie & Fitch should pay me not to wear their clothes as well. I will be awaiting your call!” tweeted Sharon Gonzalez.
‘While paying the Situation to not wear its clothes is funny, I think Abercrombie & Fitch is seriously delusional about its brand perception,’ another Twitter user, Dan Seifert, wrote.
Separately, Abercrombie’s stock fell nearly 10% Wednesday morning, although analysts speculated that the drop was not ‘Jersey Shore’-related, but due to the retailer’s recent earnings report. Abercrombie reported strong sales and profit but gave a tepid outlook for the rest of the year.
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