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Subscribe to RSSAmerican Eagle Outfitters shows its cheeky side in a video ad for a new pair of skinny jeans so tight, they’re practically sprayed on.
That’s because they are.
It takes a brave person to wear the AEO Skinny Skinny, hawked in a 30-second faux ad going viral. The video features young people expressing ways to emphasize their creativity and individuality – and their preference for jeans that feel like almost nothing.
The video contains a link to American Eagle’s website, where limited edition cans of the spray on jeans are sold for $49.95 each. (They’re available in “indigo” or “bright” wash.)
But snap! Try adding the cans to your shopping bag and you get the following pop-up message:
“Sorry! The AEO Skinny Skinny is temporarily sold out. Enter your email below and we’ll let you know when the Skinny Skinny is back in stock!”
For the record, Skinny Skinny spray-on jeans don’t exist, said Bob Holobinko, vice president of brand marketing for American Eagle.
"We are not selling it, just to be clear,” he clarified Friday on TODAY, as two models showed off the "jeans." The brave pair were painted for the appearance in conjunction with CollegeHumor.com.
“We just wanted to have fun, and have fun with our fans,” he said. “And it was a good opportunity to kind of push it from a brand standpoint and the response has been incredible.”
The YouTube video has generated more than 348,000 views so far.
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In the ad, one young man says, “I like skinny jeans. Sometimes they’re not skinny enough.” He is then shown skateboarding wearing a jacket and nothing below but some dark blue spray paint.
A woman declares, “I love really skinny jeans,” before the camera shows a tight shot of her "Avatar"-blue derriere.
Peter Shankman, an independent marketing consultant, called the campaign “brilliant.” Although people watching the ad knows the product is fake, it still draws them to the retailer’s website.
“Let’s be honest, when was the last time you heard about a good American Eagle ad?” he said. “It was a while ago. So this is phenomenal. A great way to bust out from the mainstream. People are talking about it.”
Holobinko said the video is the first installment of a campaign they consider “a journey.” A second release will be issued next week and people who enter their email on the “Skinny Skinny” site will get additional information.
“So for all of our customers that have come along with us, there’s going to be a really great reveal at the very end,” he said.
Although some may consider the commercial daring, Holobinko said they were very careful putting the final product together.
“We knew we were putting ourselves out there, I think that was the goal,” he said. “But even through the edit and through the filtering process we had to be cautious of what we were showing. But we think we landed in a good spot.”
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Leave a Comment:
I could say what you see is what you get.But given professionals spraying on the paint,it may take lots of practice to get the desired look.And I wouldn't suggest you do it on yourself either. This may be more a buddy project. Then again, I would just settle for fabric. But I'm old, get cold easy and who wants to shave all that hair off?
I think what they're doing is against FTC rules which carries a fine. It's called 'truth in advertising'. Maybe they think the fine is worth it in advertising?
I agree with Windancersong - who wants to shave all that, besides being to old & get cold fast. In the summer does it melt, in the winter we get lots of rain - does it run?
Agree with @Enneagram1 and @forkchops. It is illegal to advertise to sell something that doesn't exist and that you have no plan to supply with the intent to just get customers to come to your store or website. This is not funny or a joke. And they plan on using the email addresses for a targeted advertising program. Wow. Their advertising program is out of control. They are criminals as sure as someone trying to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge.
"Sorry! The AEO Skinny Skinny is temporarily sold out. Enter your email below and we'll let you know when the Skinny Skinny is back in stock!"
Very well done viral video and very funny, all up until the point where they gather emails for future marketing under a totally false pretense. It's misleading and wrong for them to gather your email under the guise of letting you know when a product that never existed comes back in stock. I'm sure there were tons of dumb people who thought this was product was real and gave their email.
I'm suprised no one's called American Eagle out on the mat for this baldfaced unethical behavior.
That was pretty hysterical!!
AEO- Your marketing execs blew a big media opportunity.
This would have been a spectacular April Fools joke. Couldn't wait another 10 days?
This was good media coverage. On April 1st it would've been off-the-charts.
Exactly what I was going to post! Glad I read your comment first.
I for one am glad that this doesn't actually exist. The guy, in particular; looks terrible.
For the most part, people just look nicer in pants that aren't like a second skin.
Skinny jeans are SO LAME on men. Only the dorks and d-bags wear them - the same people that wear popped collars on their polo shirts.....
Baggy is where it's at for jeans...and where it will ALWAYS be at for jeans for men.
Look at it this way - you can look like a simpering, prissy, sissy wuss in skinny jeans ("Look at me dress like Bieber!!")....or you can look cool, street and hip in baggy jeans.
But, not too baggy! I don't like seeing their boxers either.
To each there own. I prefer men is skinny jeans. I've always thought the baggy look looks ridiculous. I mean, I can understand if they are wearing depends, but other than that, tight is good! Plus, most men should wear low rise! Let's face it, most wear their pants on their hips whether large or small. That puts the crotch of the pants way too low. Makes them look a bit like those harem pants that some loonies thought had some appeal.
So what, most Americans are too fat to wear them anyway.
Visit China; it looks like those jeans and pants are painted on the women. But then again, they have the body for it. Smokin' hot everywhere!
And there lies the problem amo1. They are too fat to wear them, yet they do.
Fortunately we will only see people wearing these in Walmart... or in the photos taken of the wal-martians and spread in emails!
sue them sue them hard!
How perfect. If you click to watch the video promotion for American Eagle you first have to watch a 15 second paid spot ad for something else. Believe I'll pass.
Ugh, I am sooo sick of this trend. On way too many people, no matter how thin they may be, the tightness of this style of pants looks ridiculous! I think boot-cut, boyfriend, and flare cuts are much more flattering as they do not make legs look like a pair of oddly-shaped toothpicks.
The level of ignorance in some people is amusing.
Obviously intended for the "reality tv" watching crowd.
"Ba-a-a-a-a", says the sheep.
that guy is WAY too proud of the way he looks in those "jeans".
This is the stupidest thing ever.
This is not a subject to be talking tongue in cheek about....or....is it?
LOVE IT! AMAZING AD..got me!
Nothing but a sly marketing trick to get into your email, address, and phone with spam and junk.
That is why I don't and never will buy from them. They can call it Cutting Edge marketing if that makes the president feel better but for a company like this it is nothing but a bunch of tricks and lies.
That's one of the dumbest things I have ever seen. Thanks MSN
Good paint jobs though.
Is it really this slow of a news day?
Yep. But then again, by Dearly Beloved is trying to get me into straight leg jeans and I am clinging to my flares. So what if I'm stuck in the 70's, LOL.
oops-my not by.
it's called bait and switch, and I'm pretty sure it's not legal, although why any one would want a pair of jeans that shows every flaw eludes me.
She has bigger legs than the guy how embarrassing Anything that does away with ironing I am for.
Just what we young people need: another reason to feel bad about our bodies. Nice going.