Branding Exclusion in White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch

Abstract: The clothing and lifestyle brand Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) quickly rose to prominence in the 1990s by recrafting a brand based on elitism, exclusion, and bodily perfection. This Advertising in Popular Culture discussion brings together diversity, equity, and inclusion experts to discuss A&F’s history of discrimination as it is detailed in the 2022 Netflix documentary White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch . In addition to covering the general details of A&F’s meteoric rise and sudden fall, the panelists focus on the following topics: A&F’s branding strategy and why it worked at a particular moment in American history; the racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism built into A&F’s business model and casting/hiring choices; A&F’s failed attempts to correct its diversity, equity, and inclusion problems; how diversity can be used to sell products; and how the documentary could be used in the classroom.