Another development from the wonderful world of product dis-placement: Abercrombie & Fitch doesn’t want its brand associated with Jersey Shore’s The Situation. From WSJ’s Speakeasy blog:
Teen apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is offering to pay Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino not to wear its merchandise. The New Albany, Ohio company released a statement Tuesday evening titled “A Win-Win Situation,” in which it stated a “deep concern” over the association between Mr. Sorrentino and the brand. A&F offered up a “substantial payment” to Mr. Sorrentino “to wear an alternate brand.”
Ironic, certainly, given that “Abercrombie was apparently selling a T-shirt with the words ‘The Fitchuation’ on it last summer” (see Adweek). But not the first time a brand has used an anti-endorsement from The Situation in hopes that a double-negative is actually a positive (see Miracle Whip). And also not the first time the cast of Jersey Shore has been targeted by brands who want the opposite of product placement (see Coach sends Snooki a Gucci bag).
What a fabulous, hilarious new line of work: Make yourself famous for all the wrong reasons, and you can parlay your widespread unpopularity into a tidy income.