fabulous analysis, Anu. i am going to tell the powers that be at my work about Tracksuit because I just do not trust the metrics we get from the platforms (Google meta etc) themselves.
As a libra (rising) I am also committed to being a thorough investigator 🕵🏾 and fair judge and I came down similarly on this campaign when I wrote about it too! I’m finding it very hard to buy into the success of this campaign with no supporting metrics, and a big part of me thinks Team AE is doubling down on it just to give us the impression that this was all worth it in the end.
First of all - this analysis is GOLD, Anu! 👏 I have so many thoughts!
I had the same gut reaction to this campaign last year - that it was a short-sighted strategy and would hurt the brand long-term. And I still have a hunch that, while they were knowingly flirting with regressive nostalgia in the campaign concept, I think they were totally blindsided the backlash. Hence the several days of silence that followed before they made the decision to double (and triple and quadruple)-down on the MAGA-ness of it all.
And the exec victory laps felt (a) like a try-hard attempt to show that this was all "part of their plan", (b) lacking any real data (or accurate data, as you discovered! yikes!), (c) ick.
Short story: I think they picked the wrong cultural side and have created a big hole that they'll have to climb out of. And your data analysis here is so illuminating. I wonder what would have happened - after the several days of silence during the original backlash - if they'd come out with a mea culpa and pivoted. Would it have been worse? Better? I think the main lesson here is your point that you can't have your cake (flirt with regressive nostalgia) and eat it too (retain a hard-won, progressive female customer).
Re: Aerie vs AE. I've noticed a sharp pivot in Aerie stores where they are distorting square footage away from intimates, toward sportswear over the past year. To capture some of AE's lost female market share? Maybe. Could be unrelated. But, I do wonder.
Thanks so much Katie!! Means a lot from you :) It's such a fascinating case study. I totally agree that the exec victory laps have felt superrr cringe and they are a large part of why I've been so fixated on investigating this storyline over the past year. I feel that if they'd just let it fade away I probably would've let it go. The WSJ video from last week really irked me, because the claims seemed so blatantly false by that point in time.
But I also have the same question you do about the aftermath - would a mea culpa have been better, or actually worse? I don't know. In one of the articles, the CEO admits that they didn't see the eugenics accusations coming and would not have used that copy line if they had. And I think that's the root of the problem, because the tastelessness of that pun paired with Sydney is SO obvious, and the fact that nobody flagged it, or that an internal flag was ignored, is a systemic issue. They picked the wrong cultural side...but not even intentionally — just as a consequence of the leadership's personal sociopolitical leanings and/or cultural ignorance.
It's sorta like - the crisis comms strategy is maybe irrelevant because campaign just never should've happened in the first place.
And yes, I do also wonder about Aerie. It's a bit weird/funny because I see a lot of complaints on Reddit about them not being as size inclusive anymore, I feel like they've changed/reduced the stores a lot like you've said, and before the recent anti-AI promise + Pamela Anderson campaign I felt like their marketing had been quiet for a while. But clearly the sales growth is booming, so something is going right.
Yes! They are now married to a strategy that they didn’t even create. Instead of just admitting that (or tactfully pivoting), they just keep trying to convince everyone how great it is. Sounds exhausting! And very expensive.
It’s a cautionary tale for other brands, for sure. And I appreciate how open-minded you are in this analysis, knowing that the results may have shown a different outcome than you expected. Gotta say, though.. you nailed it then, and now! Amazing work, as always.
Again, I can’t believe this is free! Such amazing work 👏🏻
Thank you!! 🫶🏽
fabulous analysis, Anu. i am going to tell the powers that be at my work about Tracksuit because I just do not trust the metrics we get from the platforms (Google meta etc) themselves.
Thank you!! It’s a really cool tool!
So after all that...IRL and online are two different worlds/realities?
Really smart and well done.
Such a great analysis!! Thanks for proving what needed to be proved
As a libra (rising) I am also committed to being a thorough investigator 🕵🏾 and fair judge and I came down similarly on this campaign when I wrote about it too! I’m finding it very hard to buy into the success of this campaign with no supporting metrics, and a big part of me thinks Team AE is doubling down on it just to give us the impression that this was all worth it in the end.
Excellently written!
Thank you Essence!! 🫶🏽
First of all - this analysis is GOLD, Anu! 👏 I have so many thoughts!
I had the same gut reaction to this campaign last year - that it was a short-sighted strategy and would hurt the brand long-term. And I still have a hunch that, while they were knowingly flirting with regressive nostalgia in the campaign concept, I think they were totally blindsided the backlash. Hence the several days of silence that followed before they made the decision to double (and triple and quadruple)-down on the MAGA-ness of it all.
And the exec victory laps felt (a) like a try-hard attempt to show that this was all "part of their plan", (b) lacking any real data (or accurate data, as you discovered! yikes!), (c) ick.
Short story: I think they picked the wrong cultural side and have created a big hole that they'll have to climb out of. And your data analysis here is so illuminating. I wonder what would have happened - after the several days of silence during the original backlash - if they'd come out with a mea culpa and pivoted. Would it have been worse? Better? I think the main lesson here is your point that you can't have your cake (flirt with regressive nostalgia) and eat it too (retain a hard-won, progressive female customer).
Re: Aerie vs AE. I've noticed a sharp pivot in Aerie stores where they are distorting square footage away from intimates, toward sportswear over the past year. To capture some of AE's lost female market share? Maybe. Could be unrelated. But, I do wonder.
Thanks so much Katie!! Means a lot from you :) It's such a fascinating case study. I totally agree that the exec victory laps have felt superrr cringe and they are a large part of why I've been so fixated on investigating this storyline over the past year. I feel that if they'd just let it fade away I probably would've let it go. The WSJ video from last week really irked me, because the claims seemed so blatantly false by that point in time.
But I also have the same question you do about the aftermath - would a mea culpa have been better, or actually worse? I don't know. In one of the articles, the CEO admits that they didn't see the eugenics accusations coming and would not have used that copy line if they had. And I think that's the root of the problem, because the tastelessness of that pun paired with Sydney is SO obvious, and the fact that nobody flagged it, or that an internal flag was ignored, is a systemic issue. They picked the wrong cultural side...but not even intentionally — just as a consequence of the leadership's personal sociopolitical leanings and/or cultural ignorance.
It's sorta like - the crisis comms strategy is maybe irrelevant because campaign just never should've happened in the first place.
And yes, I do also wonder about Aerie. It's a bit weird/funny because I see a lot of complaints on Reddit about them not being as size inclusive anymore, I feel like they've changed/reduced the stores a lot like you've said, and before the recent anti-AI promise + Pamela Anderson campaign I felt like their marketing had been quiet for a while. But clearly the sales growth is booming, so something is going right.
Yes! They are now married to a strategy that they didn’t even create. Instead of just admitting that (or tactfully pivoting), they just keep trying to convince everyone how great it is. Sounds exhausting! And very expensive.
It’s a cautionary tale for other brands, for sure. And I appreciate how open-minded you are in this analysis, knowing that the results may have shown a different outcome than you expected. Gotta say, though.. you nailed it then, and now! Amazing work, as always.
exacting work, thank you!