A&F Quarterly
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The A&F Quarterly was a magazine-catalog hybrid publication sold by Abercrombie & Fitch from 1997 to 2003. The publication, released four times a year, featured articles about college life, photo essays by Bruce Weber, and advertisements for the company's clothing. Circulation for the Quarterly averaged one million to 1.2 million during the late 1990s.
[edit] Controversy
Mothers Against Drunk Driving spoke out against the Quarterly after a 1998 issue featured alcoholic drink recipes with names like "Brain Hemorrhage" and instructions for a drinking game. The Center for Science in the Public Interest slammed the back-to-school catalog's "Drinking 101" promotion, which declared "rather than the standard beer binge, indulge in some creative drinking this semester." The article included recipes for 10 mixed drinks and a spinner with pictures of each drink intended to be used in various drinking games. Abercrombie & Fitch ordered the drinking game pages to be removed from the remaining copies sold in-store and sent apology letters to their subscribers.
In 1999, Illinois Lt. Gov. Corinne Wood called for a consumer boycott of Abercrombie & Fitch because of the sexually explicit nature of its "Naughty or Nice" holiday issue, which included nude photographs and an interview with porn star Jenna Jameson. Among the images that stirred controversy was a picture of Santa and Mrs. Claus engaging in sadomasochistic behavior across the page from the statement, "Sometimes it's good to be bad." The Illinois Coalition of Sexual Assault assisted the boycott. That same year, Michigan Attorney General (now Governor) Jennifer Granholm sent a letter to the company complaining that the same holiday catalog contained sexual material that cannot be distributed to minors under Michigan law. The catalog featured an A&F "sexpert" who offered advice on "sex for three" and told readers willing to "go down" on a date at the movies it's acceptable, "just so long as you do not disturb those around you." In total, four states threatened legal action.
In 2001, cultural conservatives and anti-porn feminists called for a boycott of Abercrombie & Fitch over the Summer 2001 issue of the A&F Quarterly, which included photographs of naked or near-naked young people frolicking on the beach. The head of Concerned Christians of America said, "The exploitation of sex and young people in A&F's catalog is not only atrocious but also a psychological molestation of their teen-age customers." The National Organization for Women criticized the catalog for promoting "unrealistic body types" and displaying images that simulate group sex. The catalog included an interview with porn star Ron Jeremy, who discussed performing oral sex on himself and using a dildo cast from his own penis.
The Quarterly drew protests again in 2003 from religious organizations and women's rights activists. The issue featured tips for oral sex, plus images of group sex and nude young adults frolicking in a river. Shortly after removing the Quarterly, Abercrombie & Fitch announced that it would discontinue the publication altogether, replacing it with the less controversial A&F Magazine. While the company maintains that the catalogs were pulled to free up display space for a new fragrance line (CEO Mike Jeffries said he ended the Quarterly because he was "bored" with it), religious conservatives have credited their boycotts for the publication's demise. Rick Schatz of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families maintained his organization's distaste for the retailer even after the A&F Quarterly was cancelled. "The bottom line is that even if Abercrombie & Fitch is no longer selling the quarterly in its stores, the company continues to push the wrong messages on teens," he said in a statement.
| Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Brands | |
|---|---|
| Brands | Abercrombie & Fitch | abercrombie | Hollister Co. | RUEHL No.925 | CONCEPT 5 |
| Other | A&F Quarterly | Limited Brands | Mike Jeffries |
| Homepages (respectively from brands) | abercrombie.com | abercrombiekids.com | hollisterco.com | ruehl925.com |
| Corporate | NYSE: ANF | Revenue:  $12.784 billion | Employees: ≈ 56,900 |
