Dive Brief:
- American Apparel has placed a “pro-women” ad on the back page of tastemaking alternative newsmagazine Vice.
- Tagged “Hello Ladies,” the ad shows happy female American Apparel employees, with copy indicating the importance of females throughout American Apparel’s corporate structure.
- The ad is a first for American Apparel, whose risqué ads have been criticized in the past for objectifying women.
Dive Insight:
American Apparel may have finally turned a corner on its strategy to remake its image following the ouster of former CEO Dov Charney over multiple allegations of sexual harassment. The retailer has issued a “pro-women” ad on the back page of Vice, a male-skewing alternative newsmagazine.
The “Hello Ladies” ad identifies several female American Apparel employees, pointing out that “women make up 55 percent of our global workforce (sorry, guys) and an even higher percentage of our leadership and executive roles. This structure is incredibly (and unfortunately) rare in the corporate world.”
Since becoming CEO, Paula Schneider has taken steps to clean up the retailer's ad strategy, which has drawn fire for being excessively sexual or exploitative. The Vice placement coincides with the magazine's first issue under its new female editor in chief, Ellis Jones.
