American Apparel: Careless Social Media Post Equates to Branding Failure

Prior to writing this blog, I asked a few people what their perceptions of American Apparel were. The opinions were somewhat varied, but the general consensus was, “young, edgy, a little trashy.” That sounded about right to me. Whenever I’ve walked past an American Apparel storefront, I got the same vibe. I’ve personally never shopped at an American Apparel store (probably because I’m old), but I can appreciate a place that caters to a particular market. Kids in college need clothes too, right?

A quick perusal of their social media pages confirmed some of these perceptions. They were definitely catering to a young crowd. Furthermore, they came off as wanting to be edgy and alternative. It was almost as if this was the place to shop if you wanted to fight the establishment. It’s nice to know that their social media presence matched their brand, but there was one occasion when American Apparel took it too far and posted something offensive.

In an attempt to celebrate 4th of July, American Apparel posted this picture on their corporate Tumblr page:

They followed up the picture with the hashtags, #Smoke #Clouds. Smoke and clouds seems appropriate on July 4th, given the array of fireworks displays across the country. I’m guessing that’s what whoever posted this was trying to convey that. Unfortunately, this picture is not a fireworks display. It is the disastrous explosion of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger.

Yes, American Apparel focuses on the young crowd, and let’s face it- most of its customers were not even alive in 1986. But still. How can something this offensive make it through all of the filters and end up on the corporate Tumblr account? There was an immediate backlash against the company, as several people recognized the infamous photo. The company definitely took a hit, even though this tragedy may not hit home with its core customer base.

Was this just a simple mistake from a careless employee? Probably- the company did admit that during their explanation. Despite this, the American Apparel brand was not only perceived as edgy and young, but also careless, insensitive, and irresponsible.

It’s okay to be outside of the mainstream and cater to young people, but not when you look stupid and insensitive. American Apparel learned this lesson the hard way.