Whether or not it is morally acceptable for Abercrombie and Fitch to use nudity and sexuality in its advertising is not the real question; rather, it is whether or not it is ethical for Abercrombie to use classical conditioning to program society in a manner that forces consumers to associate uncontrolled desires with a basic brand of clothing. This company has successfully associated two things which are the antithesis of one another: clothing and nudity.

Abercrombie and Fitch maintains its outstanding competitive advantage with its unparalleled marketing tactics. No firm in history has applied the use of sexuality and physical beauty in marketing better than Abercrombie and Fitch. They have successfully forced consumers to make …show more content…
Wouldn’t the obvious attempt be to show the consumer how well their product covers up? No. This firm, which by no mistake is in the business of marketing alone, has stripped its customers’ of their clothing. Every time people witness a young man or woman sporting a heap of Abercrombie strutting through the street, Abercrombie’s goal is that they will instantly access the nude photographs provided in Abercrombie’s campaigns. A remarkable success: tying clothing with nakedness. We all must accept the fact that most of us are turned on, we access sexual desires, when we think about or see nudity.

Those sexual desires lead into Abercrombie and Fitch’s third method: to tie the unique clothing to eroticism and homoeroticism. Abercrombie’s quarterly catalogues show piles of nearly naked men climbing all over each other in gleeful play. Other photos show men and women in ambiguous sexual positions, once again, with sparse coverings. Why would they do this? Obviously, strategic managers at Abercrombie would like customers to access these thoughts, forgo their cognitive thought process and make large purchases based on erotic feelings.

More serious than trying to get customers to forgo practicality in purchasing decisions is A & F’s blatant endeavor to access the personal sexual desires of consumers. They are trying to “turn on” society. And they don’t forget homosexuals. Showing