American Eagle certainly hit originality and humor on the head with their latest video for what they claim will be their newest jean called the "Skinny Skinny." At first glance this looks like a typical video for the clothing retailer, but as the video progresses it looks more and more like this video is a joke-- and lo and behold, it is a joke and a relatively good one at that.
Why is this a good PR moment?
To us this is a good PR moment for a multitude of reasons. AE is able to poke fun at themselves and even poke fun at their most prized possession, their clothing line. The video was published on March 20, 2013 and was able to attract more than 300,000 people in that time. We've talked about the power of video and the ability to make a video a viral sensation and it appears AE is on to something. They have done something with this particular video that all PR professionals can take note of. AE did not originally disclose that the video was a joke, in fact they kept rather tight-lipped at first. Eventually an AE representative admitted (to Yahoo!) that the jeans and video are all a part of an April Fool's joke.
Carrying on with the joke, AE claims that there are only 1,000 pairs of the jeans available and are also offering a limited edition package. If a shopper goes to the website in hopes to buy the "Skinny Skinny" jeans they would currently find the jeans and be able to click on them as if they are a real product. From here a screen pops up with two spray paint cans offering the jeans in one size only. If a shopper goes to add the jeans to their bag a pop up window appears stating that the jeans are "sold out," but entering in your email will allow you to be notified when they return. What a genius way to capture genuine emails!
Not only did they make a fun, popular video, but they were able to grab a ton of media spotlight within just days of putting the video up. They were successfully able to carry the idea over on to their website by making the "Skinny Skinny" jeans a "real/fake" product. Genius! The transition from video to product was incredibly successful and a great PR moment for the retailer.
What do you think about American Eagle's PR tactic? Let us know your thoughts in a comment below or feel free to contact us.
Check out the links:
Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfNF57jHbFc
Yahoo! Article: http://shine.yahoo.com/the-thread/american-eagle-skinny-skinny-jeans-are-an-april-fool-s-joke--say-sources-170449508.html
On the American Eagle Website: http://www.ae.com/web/browse/skinnyskinny.jsp?catId=cat6280060
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