How Abercrombie & Fitch Scored With NFL Fans

In today's fragmented media landscape, capturing attention and driving brand recall is more crucial than ever. Abercrombie & Fitch's "Style Concierge" campaign offers a compelling example of how strategic creative, even with some audience polarization, can effectively reposition a brand and cement its presence in the minds of consumers.

The campaign, a 30-second spot, achieved remarkable success as a strong brand reminder, with 75% of consumers successfully recalling Abercrombie & Fitch (unaided) after a single exposure – according to creative assessment data from iSpot. This is a significant win, especially for a brand looking to evolve its image and connect with new audiences.

Key Insights from the Campaign:

• Among NFL fans, the spot earned a very positive response, with viewers engaged 27.3% above the category norm.
• The campaign successfully sparked nostalgia among many viewers, who appreciated the "upscale" clothing styles and the updated image Abercrombie was trying to project. This indicates a successful shift in brand perception for a segment of the audience.
• The characters in the ad were seen as the single best thing three times more than the average specialty apparel ad, standing out to viewers interested in the NFL.

While highly successful as a brand reminder and with specific target audiences, the "Style Concierge" campaign also revealed opportunities for broader appeal. Some viewers, particularly those not interested in sports, expressed dislike or a "But" signal, indicating a conflict in their response. This suggests that while the campaign excelled at reaching its intended demographic, future iterations could explore ways to broaden relevance without diluting the core message.