Filed under: Marketing and advertising, Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF)
The Columbus Children’s Hospital in Ohio is under fire after accepting a $10 million donation from Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE: ANF) — and agreeing to christen a new building The Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center.
Not surprisingly, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is up in arms. In a press release, the group urged the hospital to “rescind the naming rights because of Abercrombie’s long history of using highly sexualized images to market its brand to teens and preteens and selling clothing that objectifies and demeans young people.”
They certainly have a point. Given how sexually charged Abercrombie’s advertising is, an Abercrombie children’s hospital certainly is an interesting juxtaposition.
But the truth is that Abercrombie doesn’t really harm children. This isn’t like a hospital building the Philip Morris Cancer Ward. And if this is a deal with the devil, it’s a deal that will provide $10 million for helping children.
It would be a lot worse if the hospital turned down money to help children as a matter of principal. Abercrombie isn’t that evil.
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