I PLEAD GUILTY.
Manifesto
Perfection is fake.
Perfection is bullshit.
Perfection is boring.
Perfection is unrealistic.
Perfection is unreachable.
Perfection stinks.
Perfection is shit.
Perfection is fucked-up.
To make mistakes is an act of courage: where you decide to leap, and if you land face-first, you get back up.
A mistake is the pretension of perfection.
A mistake is the system of labeling events by the standard of being good or being bad.
A mistake is to oppress and to deny the dark side we all carry.
We want to go against the false standard that keeps us from going further, from being heard, and from learning through mistakes.
We want to go against the canon that blocks catharsis.
We declare ourselves guilty, and we also declare everyone else guilty:
those who built the idea of perfection, and those who have never challenged it.
CANCELLING THE CANCEL CULTURE
In a society where social progress advances faster than human beings can assimilate, we find ourselves in a world that is constantly changing, leaving behind ideas and values within just a few years. This has led younger generations to pursue absolute acceptance. Today, the only socially admitted stance seems to be the strict compliance with rules and total inclusion, with no room for error. As a result, many public figures have denounced the rigidity of this dynamic and pointed out the risks of cancel culture and its impact on freedom of expression (CNBC, 2020).
That is why we propose to cancel cancel culture (“Cancelling the Cancel Culture”) as a creative concept and motto, restoring people’s right to make mistakes and learn from them. We believe that personal growth cannot happen without the possibility of failing, reflecting, and changing. Instead of punishing for life those who have made mistakes, we advocate for a society that believes in second chances.
The truth is, we’ve messed up from the beginning—but who hasn’t in 130 years?
During the 1990s and 2000s, A&F built its identity around exclusivity and aspiration, with campaigns that exalted a homogeneous ideal of beauty and a store atmosphere designed to attract a select audience. A&F’s controversial past was not solely the responsibility of its employees, models, or even its former CEO. The strategy the company followed for decades only worked because consumers liked it.
With our claim, we are not looking to redistribute blame, but rather to take responsibility for our own and, at the same time, acknowledge that we all make mistakes. Because no one can look back at their past without finding errors they are not proud of. After all, we are human, and as such, we err.
Collaboration with Netflix
In 2022, Netflix released the documentary White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch, exposing the controversies that marked the brand from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. This documentary had a devastating impact on A&F’s image, reigniting public rejection and generating significant losses due to the social cancellation the company faced. Instead of confronting or distancing itself from the platform, A&F chose to turn this weakness into an opportunity and collaborate with Netflix, launching a documentary miniseries: I Plead Guilty.
This campaign recreates a “villains’ tribunal,” a space where figures involved in major pop culture controversies share their side of the story. It is not about clearing their reputation or offering public apologies, but about showing the humanity behind the “villain,” allowing them to speak without filters, without judgment, and without expectations of redemption.
Capsule Collection
In each episode of the miniseries I Plead Guilty, a “capsule collection” will be launched with products that fuse the identity of the guest with the essence of Abercrombie & Fitch, under the principle of embracing one’s own past. Below is an example featuring Billy McFarland.
McFarland was convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years in prison, of which he served less than four, being released in March 2022.
Recently, he announced plans to organize a second edition of the festival in April 2025, with ticket prices ranging from $1,400 to $1.1 million.
Billy McFarland is known for organizing the failed Fyre Festival in 2017, promoted as a luxury event on a private island, which turned out to be a logistical disaster, leaving attendees without proper food, accommodation, or entertainment.
The festival promised a menu prepared by top Michelin-starred chefs with premium products. Inspired by childhood candy necklaces, we developed this edible necklace that imitates caviar pearls—but of course, it isn’t.
Designed to carry personal belongings—or why not, your last food supply.
A festival without sun is not a festival, and a tan without the iconic mark of sunglasses is not a real tan. This model not only protects your eyes but also leaves the emblematic signature of the collection on your face.
Website
Before accessing the website, a pop-up will appear reflecting the tone of the campaign and the communication strategy implemented.
This approach takes inspiration from websites of restricted products or services, such as alcoholic beverages.
On this website, users will be asked if they’ve ever made a mistake.
#IPLEADGUILTY
One of the brand’s main differentiating values is being heard. The A&F audience is not afraid to express themselves, admit their mistakes, and embrace them as part of their growth. We want to be part of this transformation by listening to our community without judgment.
For this reason, we propose that, through the campaign hashtag, users share their everyday mistakes, fostering empathy and highlighting those moments in which we can all identify with imperfection. Anyone using the hashtag on major social platforms (Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and X) will receive a personalized response from our team, ensuring that our audience feels truly heard and supported.
The communication plan to promote this hashtag will include posts and stories across our social media channels, encouraging its integration, gradual adoption by the community and generation of UGC.
Outdoor Advertising
The capsule collections will be promoted in different parts of the city through billboards on highways, bus stops, and buildings.
This large-scale exposure will help reinforce the tone of the campaign and amplify its message.
Social Impact Initiatives
In the past, the brand has become an impostor, hiding its true identity behind a façade that did not reflect its roots. As market research reveals, A&F’s efforts to improve its reputation and inclusivity (including the representation of people of different sizes and races) have been perceived as superficial and not genuine. For this reason, our strategy aims for authentic inclusivity that emerges from the very essence of the brand, recognizing past mistakes and learning from them. We have decided to be truly inclusive by offering opportunities to those who, like us, have made mistakes and been cancelled for their past.
Training courses: To ensure that ex-convicts are prepared to work with the brand, a comprehensive training program will be implemented, focused on developing job skills, customer service, and business management. During the first months, participants will receive training in essential competencies such as effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. They will also be instructed in basic principles of fashion, market trends, and brand culture to ensure they understand A&F’s identity and can reflect it in their work.
Since most people released from prison face significant challenges when reintegrating into the labor market, and in line with SDG 10 on reducing social inequalities, we will offer a reintegration program for ex-convicts, providing access to housing, education, and job opportunities.
Access to housing: In the United States, access to housing for ex-convicts is a critical issue. According to the Prison Policy Initiative (2022), people who have been incarcerated—even just once—experience homelessness at a rate nearly seven times higher than the general population. This difficulty is reflected in alarming statistics, such as in California, where approximately 36,400 prisoners have been released since 2019 without an address to return to (Weingart Center for the Homeless, 2021).
The company’s current campus, used as its corporate headquarters, is located in New Albany, Ohio, and spans more than 2 km². It was inaugurated in 2002 and designed by Anderson Architects, combining rustic and modern architecture with wooden structures and large windows that integrate the surrounding natural environment. The facilities include open workspaces, meeting rooms, cafeterias, and a fitness center. Given its infrastructure and size, the campus could be adapted to function as a residence for people recently released from prison. With low-density buildings and abundant green spaces, it could comfortably accommodate between 6,000 and 10,000 residents.
With this initiative, we will also address SDG 4 on quality education. Given the size of the brand, which currently employs more than 10,000 people, we have the capacity to offer roles tailored to the knowledge, experience, skills, and aspirations of each candidate. From customer service and inventory management to logistics and leadership, each participant will be guided toward the position that best matches their profile.
Job opportunities: As participants progress through the program, they will be assigned internships in A&F stores, where they can apply their knowledge in a real environment and receive mentorship from experienced employees. For those interested in more specialized roles, additional modules will be offered in areas such as leadership, logistics, marketing, and fashion design, allowing them to access growth and development opportunities within the company.
According to Wang and Bertram (2022), approximately 60% of people released from prison are unemployed at any given time. Furthermore, the Bureau of Justice Statistics study indicated that 33% of those released from federal prison in 2010 did not find employment within the following four years, and at no point during the study period did more than 40% of this group achieve stable employment.
CLIENT:
Abercrombie & Fitch - www.abercrombie.com
ELISAVA, School of Design and Engineering
Project conceived in a MA degree in Design and Art Direction.