American Apparel: Lookbook

This project got me thinking about a past project I did when I was still in college studying fashion retail. I had to create instore promotions for an independent boutique and I therefore gathered lots of examples of instore promotions for my sketchbook. It struck me that American Apparel was one of the stores I went to and when I looked through my sketchbook I found an example of a lookbook they had in store and I thought that it would be useful for my assignment to look at some of the images in them despite it being a year old. I think its important to look at examples of past advertisments as well as the current adverts in order to look at how they have grown and where they are consistent. I think this will ultimately make my final adverts stronger.

The lookbook is compiled of 'streetstyle' images of people in American Apparel from various backgrounds and jobs including, stylists, photographers, models, writers, illustrators aswell as students,  ages from 14 years old to 50 years old.
What struck me most from looking through the lookbook is how consistent American Apparel's advertising is. They have a definitive style so it is important that I capture this in my own advertisements.
I got the lookbook from the American Apparel store however, when I visited this time the only in store promotions where these leaflets:

Leaflet #1: Front and Back view.

Leaflet #2: Front and Back view

The leaflets and the lookbook are not really types of outdoor/above the line promotion, however it does help to me to develop an idea of an overall brand image and inspire me to create advertisements that the brand would create themselves. Something I have noticed from this is the fact the leaflets have lists of all the places that American apparel has a store in the UK- which I also noticed when I visited the American Apparel store in Liverpool One as they had the same lists on plastic bags in the store window. This shows how all advertising ties in together from the visual merchandising to instore promotion to outdoor promotions.

I was abit disappointed that there was not more research like the lookbook or more promotional offers like the Lunch Buddies offer that I could try and include in my own adverts. When I researched more into the brand I found they are facing some financial uncertainty. They were almost delisted by the New York Stock Exchange last year when they failed to file their second-quarter results on time and there were reports of "growing concern" of a possible bankruptcyas the troubled clothing chain said it might not have enough liquidity to sustain itself over the next year. It also reported a preliminary second-quarter loss and expressed doubt about its ability to continue.

This could be a reason that they have reduced certain forms of advertising such as the in-store lookbook to reduce expenses. This could also mean they would be less likely to invest in expensive above the line promotions which does not bode well for my project. However, I feel advertising is integral to the brands image and something very important to them. In fact on their webpage they have a passage about their advertising:

"For nearly a decade, American Apparel's provocative ads have been at the forefront of our worldwide success, always standing out from our peers. From start to finish we produce everything in-house, without the help of ad agencies, retouchers, makeup artists or stylists. Like the Levi's campaigns of the 60's and 70's, our authentic imagery and socially relevant messaging have earned us a fiercely loyal following of global trendsetters who recognize us as an ally. Ever unpredictable, our ads feature the familiar faces and backsides of fans, friends and employees from around the world, along with photos of factory inner-workings and the bustle of urban life in neighboring downtown LA. Unlike our Made in the USA clothing, our community comes from all over. Our iconic ads reflect the diversity, individuality and independent spirit this company was founded on, with little regard for mainstream advertising trends. Controversial as they may be, we'll continue to give our core audience what they crave, a real and unadulterated look at the creative process behind American Apparel and the essence of our brand."

It is suggested in some articles it is the extreme style of the advertising that is damaging the companies profile and therefore there profitability aswell as many rumours and speculations about CEO Dov Charney's personal life. However, I think Charney is the kind of person who is unfazed by this and if anything it will spur him on to push the limit further. Saying that, it is possible that they may tone it down a touch until the financial turbulance they face is over. I do not believe that the company would stop producing adverts however, as I feel this is something they can use to their advantage to get out of their slump and target more consumers.

The cost effective way that they create their adverts also makes it more likely that they will continue to produce them. By not investing in high end models and photographers and using low-budget locations and props, they are saving money that they can spend on ad-spaces. The brand has even advertised on their website for customers to model for them or to create their own advertisements- which is a really good promotional concept, as well as a cost effective way of producing promotion.