Abercrombie Offers Compensation To Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino To Stop Wearing Its Clothes (VIDEO)

Last week Abercrombie & Fitch banned a customer from its clothes. This week the retailer has gone one step further by offering to pay its customers to stop buying its clothes.

Women's Wear Daily reported that Abercrombie, purveyor of moderately-priced East Coast prep, is so worried about its brand image lately (we can't imagine why) that it has extended what it cleverly calls a "A Win-Win Situation" to "Jersey Shore"'s Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino: stop wearing our clothing and we'll give you money.

The company released this statement on its website:

"We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans. We have therefore offered a substantial payment to Michael 'The Situation' Sorrentino and the producers of MTV's The Jersey Shore to have the character wear an alternate brand. We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response."

It's a bald-faced move by Abercrombie, which seems to think that the PR damage it will incur from publicly insulting the MTV reality stars is no worse than the PR damage the "Jersey Shore"'s shellacked, fist-bumping guidos have already done to the retailer.

While they're at it, they may want to also put at end to these t-shirts currently being sold on a fake "Abercrombie Fitch" website:

Although chances are, Mike Sorrentino already has one.

Read more at WWD.com, go straight to Abercrombie.com and see for yourself or check out this news clip below summarizing the, er, situation.

Comments

[Bigleague]

01:55 PM on 08/21/2011

I would like them to please pay me to not wear their clothes.

[Arturo Hermilla]

04:06 AM on 08/21/2011

this association can destroy years of intelligent marketing development. Maybe it can give the wrong message in short time but will not support non-target customers, but also lose loyalty of nowadays customers in the future

[Reticent2]

02:47 PM on 08/19/2011

What a great laugh. They sell items and the tv personalities buy them. Too bad A&F, too bad.

[Arturo Hermilla]

04:07 AM on 08/21/2011

do not think so

[avery t]

01:18 PM on 08/18/2011

it's simple: A&F promotes a very collegiate image. You're supposed to think the models are at Colby College or Tufts or UCSD or something. Maybe even Cornell. A&F isn't as preppy at RL or Tommy Hilfiger, but it's definitely college.

I'm not sure how I'd feel if theory and Prada asked me to stop wearing their clothing.

[Sidney Vaught]

01:46 PM on 08/18/2011

Yeah right, most college kids are running around shirtless or bottomless on campus. A&F are like any other clothing manufacturer geared towards that age; it's all about sex and sexy images.

[avery t]

01:57 PM on 08/18/2011

reality and image do not have to coincide. of course, it's all about sex and sexy images. so is college.

college is out during the summer. but in spring you'll see shirtless guys tossing frisbees. maybe not at MIT or Cal Tech, but elsewhere.

my point is simply that the situation guy seems uneducated. if it were a reality show about a college, i doubt A&F would mind.

[whowhatwhywherewhen]

11:36 AM on 08/18/2011

Nice publicity stunt A&F. This guy and his meathead type friends are ALL I ever see wearing your clothing....and they can have it.

If you think your brand is "above" this type of person, you need to head over to your marketing and reserach department. Cause as far as they are concerned, they hit gold.

[Aesthete]

10:20 AM on 08/18/2011

I'm no fan of any of the Jersey Shore cast, but Abercrombie and Fitch and their white WASP customer base discriminates against ethnics and minorities. Nonwhite models are not allowed. Just what on earth would they do if blacks started wearing their clothes and flaunting the fact?! The company could go bankrupt paying off everyone they consider "undesirable!"

[Camille Michelle]

11:30 AM on 08/18/2011

I don't agree with you. They have black models, sparingly, but they do. I myself am black was was scouted to work there several times. Not to mention my beautiful black cousin is the manager of A&F and once traveled to China for business meetings and such. They're not racist or discrimminatory.
The Abercombie stores in the Washington D.C. area have some of the prettiest black wommen I've ever seen.

That being said, they would hire anyone pretty and thin of ANY race. Their tendency to shun overweight and "average" looking people is much more appalling.

[Aesthete]

12:04 PM on 08/18/2011

That is encouraging to hear about.

[Marite Rossi]

05:51 PM on 08/25/2011

A&F'S racism towards overweight and plain people is probably the saddest thing, I just dislike them more for this.

[valeskas]

09:41 AM on 08/18/2011

Its all about the money.

[Iain Banks]

09:12 AM on 08/18/2011

Abercrombie, already known for being the first choice fashion for nazis and assorted white supremacists is now demanding anyone with black hair stop wearing their clothes.

[Sidney Vaught]

08:40 AM on 08/18/2011

I find this situation about The Situation a very strange situation...lol. "The Jersey Shore" and Abercrombie & Fitch have one thing in common; they both cater to the young, pretty and stupid. When did A&F get so squeaky clean as to not purport to the young party crowd which is represented in "The Jersey Shore"? These are the types that make up A&F's customer base. Is A&F trying to revamp their image? Will they start putting clothes on the models in their catalogs? I find this situation as stupid as "The Jersey Shore".

[season555]

06:13 AM on 08/18/2011

I hope the show says no to Abercrombie and keep wearing their cloths.

[kain099]

07:26 AM on 08/18/2011

Why?

[chuckinla]

05:30 AM on 08/18/2011

We ALL say GO AWAY!!!!

[lefty81]

12:22 AM on 08/18/2011

Bwahahahahaaaa........!!!!!

[StrawHat]

11:33 PM on 08/17/2011

Well...I certainly wouldn't want to be associated with anything Jersey Shore.

Shudder.

[GenuineNerd]

11:32 PM on 08/17/2011

Also, I do have a pair of Abercrombie and Fitch cargo pants...which actually came from a Gabriel Brothers store...want to refund me the $15 I paid for them?

[GenuineNerd]

11:29 PM on 08/17/2011

If Wal-Mart or Target wants to pay me to stop wearing their clothes, I'd be a rich man.