In the wake of the controversy surrounding Urban Outfitters' bloody-looking Kent State sweatshirt, it seems likely that what the company claimed was just a “mistake” was actually an intentional marketing move.
A review by NBC Bay Area shows the national retailer has a history of marketing controversial products and then discontinuing the sale of those items once media attention and public outcry have gone viral. It's an advertising strategy that's commonly referred to as "shock advertising" or "outrage marketing."
While Urban Outfitters has not publicly acknowledged that it engages in "shock advertising," many of the products they have marketed would suggest otherwise. NBC Bay Area found 21 separate instances during the past 10 years where Urban Outfitters advertised a product, sparked outrage and then summarily discontinued selling the item. Examples include selling merchandise that promoted anorexia, binge drinking, and Holocaust-evoking messages.
"Well, if you think about Urban Outfitters, they are a repeat offender," said Aliza Freud, the founder and CEO of brand consulting agency SheSpeaks. "There are at least 12 instances that I can find where they have offended someone from every walk of life, so I would guess that this is probably not an accident."
The latest controversy stems from Urban Outfitters selling a “vintage” Kent State University sweatshirt that appeared to be splattered with blood-red dye in a look and reminded some people of an infamous 1970 campus shooting.
After nearly every news outlet ran a story on the controversial item, including NBC News, and criticism streamed across social media, Urban Outfitters apologized and said "it was never our intention to allude to the tragic events that took place at Kent State in 1970 and we are extremely saddened that this item was perceived as such."
Given Urban Outfitters’ history, it’s hard to take their statement at face-value. Add to this the fact that of the seven other college-themed clothing items that are part of the company’s "vintage" line, only the Kent State sweatshirt had holes and splotches.
One of the main purposes of engaging in "shock advertising" is to get a conversation started that ultimately reaches a company's target demographic, Freud explained.
Urban Outfitters' target demographic is 18-to-26-year-olds who are drawn to rebellious images and messages. With this in mind, some might argue that the latest controversy was a success in terms of Urban Outfitters reaching their core customers.
Freud said she expects the retail company to keep running these kinds of marketing campaigns until "consumers finally say, 'I don’t really want to shop at Urban Outfitters anymore, they have gone too far.'"
While it is far too soon to determine if the latest "mistake" will hurt Urban Outfitters' finances, in the world of social media currency, the controversy has actually increased the company's following on Twitter by the thousands.
