OP/ED: HOLLISTER DON'T SURF - A&F Brand Plays Surf Without Passion
Abercrombie & Fitch's (A&F) Hollister surf garment brand will install seven new surf cams on the HB pier. In exchange Hollister will provide the city with 4.8 million dollars over 25 years as well as $370K for marine safety equipment for the city's Marine Safety division.
The Hollister/HB surf cams will beam 'surf city' images to Hollister "windows"-- 5-foot wide flat screen monitors displayed in their Hollister retail stores throughout the country.
Hollister has been the evil scourge of the surf industry ever since A&F launched the brand to get a slice of the massive surfwear market pie. And on many levels Hollister is a scumbag brand. But it is not because they want to raid the profit pie. That's just good business, right?
Why then, is Hollister a scumbag brand? Because Hollister don't surf. There is no passion in their offering, and surfing is a passion play. You enter this market to go surfing. Profit is second fiddle. If you don't surf, and only sell surf, you are scum. If you pretend to surf you receive the "bag" suffix, and you become "scum-bag."
It doesn't matter how many cameras you buy or how much bullshit imagery you put out on your website, if you don't surf and didn't start the company so that you could surf more, you are scum. Bottom line: Surfing is a passion play, if you are in it ONLY for the money get out.
Look, I like money. But if I wanted to make a ton of it I'd be selling used Space Shuttles to the Saudis. But instead I focus on surfing. And so do the people at Quiksilver, Billabong, Hurley, Rip Curl, Globe, O'Neill, Volcom, Reef and the rest of the legitimate surf garment industry. We surf. That's what we do. We are passionate surfers first, business people second. When we roll into work we are dripping saltwater and trying to figure out where to hang our fullsuits so the sun beams on them for the longest possible length of time. And if you are not a passionate surfer, then you should leave your cushy OC surf job and go work for Hollister.
Why? Because like you, Hollister don't surf! (btw, I know this is bad grammar, but it is a play on "Bo Don't Surf." Please, save the angry emails for when Hillary becomes your VP nominee)!
They sell surf, but they don't surf.
Bitter "internet-tough-guy-blogger" types can log on to SURFERmag.com and dispense socialist rhtetoric, sell-out mania, and "the surf industry ruined surfing" blah di blah till the cows come home. I get it. Hypocrisy abounds. But the reason these bitter henpecking salty types are in their trailer in Baja with a longboard and a leash in the first place is because in 1974, when they were 16-years-old, the so-called 'hated' surf industry sold them a dream and they bought it. Now, I know most of the surf garment industry are publically traded companies. Hell, so is SURFER magazine. BoD suits on Wall Street demand double digit growth for stock holders and therefore the surf garment industry are, according to some, 'sell-outs.' Laguna Beach industry heavies must explain their global growth strategy, present new initiatives and sell their positive quarterly forecasts to appease the Street and invariably that can involve relatively illegitimate (non-surf) concepts such as selling perfume or publishing books or buying a ski company. But after sagging sales, a warehouse full of non-surf product and cubicles filled with HR overhead they start to smell as bad as Hollister, they retreat and get back to their passion, surfing.
Look, all is not completely rosey in the OC surf garment industry. But what I cannot fault is the original passion behind the companies and the men who founded them- Claw Warbrick, Bob McKnight, Jeff Hakman, Bruce Raymond, Gordan Merchant, Bob Hurley, Fernando and Santiago, Richard Woolcott, and all the other surfers who are smart, creative, driven businessmen--for them it has always been and always will be about surfing. The surf garment industry is passionate and it is core. And that's why I support them. C'mon, even Dora started working for Quik. In fact, I would argue that Dora subconsciously gave them all permission to do what they are doing (believe me, if 'selling out' meant surfing more, Dora did it); read the book.
They also ALL give back. They invest profits in surf related 501c charities. They give to the Surfrider Foundation and SurfAid International and Save the Waves and a myriad of other great surf related causes that help you and I.
Does Hollister give back to us?
I checked their website. I didn't see anything about giving back. I did see a seagull and the words "California 1922" (which is complete bullshit, try "Ohio 2004"). I checked the A&F website and I see they are supporting inflammatory bowel disease in Ohio. That's cool.
I saw nothing about supporting surfing. Although they are giving HB lifeguards funds in exchange for surfcam beaming rights. Cool, they can buy bigger guns. With Hollister it is no give, just take.
But what if they did start to give back? What if Hollister stepped up to sponsor a 3-star WQS? Would that instantly validate them? What if they bought an ad in SURFER? Would Source Interlink turn away A&F money? What if they promised 10% of net profits to the SURFRIDER FOUNDATION? Would Hollister then be welcomed into the club? Is it really just about money? They still don't surf!
These are interesting questions that may be answered sooner than we think. Other big hitters have recently entered the fray, right?
Why does the surf industry cast a skeptical eye toward Hollister? It has very little to do with giving back and everything to do with losing market share to the non-core consumer, that's why. Joe Blow from Idaho wears Hollister because he wants to look like a surfer. Reaching the non-core consumer is part of the growth strategy for the surf industry. The core surf industry owns the core market place- there is very little growth potential. It is the potato farmer they are after, and it is the potato farmer Hollister is after. But that same potato farmer probably has a Billabong t-shirt and Quiksilver hoody. I don't think he is loyal to Hollister any more than we are loyal to Idaho grown potatoes.
And should you and I, hardcore surfers, be skeptical of the Hollister brand? Um… I venture to guess that most of us don't really give a shit. We just want to go surfing. Passion… unless you've got Volcom in your portfolio.
Is Hollister doing a better job at marketing surf culture and the surfing lifestyle to kooks in Indiana than the surf industry? I don't know. But if they are, somebody in a cubicle in OC isn't doing a very good job. If the answer is 'yes,' then shame on the surf industry. Dare I say it, maybe they are surfing too much? Hollister is just exploiting the growth in the market. Ain't that what capitalism is all about?
Look regardless, in my mind, it is pretty simple, Hollister don't surf. Period. They are just whoring out the hard work of the real surf garment industry. And where do you think the newest Hollister flagship store complete with beaming HB surfcams is located? Just like many other whores, it is on a corner in New York City.
That's my opinion. Don't give me yours.
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READER COMMENTS
Tue Mar24, 2009, 1:38 PM
right on brother. Hollister sucks. Man, I'm sitting at my desk right now trying to design Op t-shirts for a big corporate 'scum-bag' company...Op is going to be sold exclusively in Walmart stores and I'm being told what to do by a guy who not only doesn't surf, but doesn't even wear t-shirts..go figure...I was actually told I'm being laid off yesterday because my young men's stuff was too 'sophisticated' screw these guys. Op was the first brand I remember as a child and dozens of t-shirts have passed through my hands as I woke early to hit the waves every day. Now this corporate jerk, who also art directs disney, tommy bahama, l.e.i. and a bunch of other generic brands is having me brand my beloved Op with a bunch of passionless, trendy, non surf related images to give Op it's new school flavor. It totally sucks and drains an artist's soul...I need to go to the beach.