American Apparel's most provocative campaign

Winking, scandalous, explicit, often excessive. The advertising campaigns for American Apparel are not just sexy.

Are controversial, make headlines, promoting itself independently, debate after debate, criticism after criticism. The explicit sexual content, voyeuristic and raw image, the soft porn atmospheres, as the same company, are synonymous with the brand's tag Made in USA on garments. Moreover, as stated by Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association, "What would American Apparel without sex? Only a company that sells T-shirts and sweatshirts ".

Dov Charney, who in 1989 founded AA, is well aware of it, molding it on his extravagant and oversexed personality. There are his mind and his eyes hiding behind any advertising, creating a fresh and recognizable photographs consists of low-fi, without retouching in Photoshop and protagonists, scantily clad, chosen from real people, found online, through word of mouth, or in stores. The identity of American Apparel is that of Mr Charney.As his creature man has long been the center of controversy, so much so that several times accused of sexual harassment, this year has been fired, then return in July, as a consultant.

The provocation in advertising is not the prerogative only of the Californian brand, just think of the duo Benetton, Toscani or video directed by Penelope Cruz for Agent Provocateur, recently banned by YouTube. There is always a limit to be crossed, a step to be performed, the need to always pushing a little more than in the case of AA is transformed into a series of garments cult, of which the last and perfect example is the 'T Menstruation shirt 'created by the photographer Petra Collins.

Every choice is a careful and fruitful work of marketing, which only increased the criticism of strength and popularity. Days ago American Apparel presented Back To School, advertising showing little girls wearing a mini that looks like a school uniform and lets you see the underwear. With the first appearance in goal came the accusation of sexualized female students, but also a rain of articles, comments, tweets and word of mouth, confirming the effectiveness of the communication strategy of the company.

No matter how we speak, but only to talk about it. Here are the 10 most daring campaigns and discussed by AA: 

1. 2014. Made in Bangladesh. 

2. 2012. Sexy has no expiration date. 

3. 2011. Nail polish and panties.

4. 2009. La pornostar Sasha Grey mostra orgoglioso il proprio corpo e le calze.

5. 2008 The Tank Thong

6. 2007. Micromesh.

7. 2006. Now open.

8. 2005. Playtime.

9. 2004. Pantytime. 

10. 2004. Due amiche, una mora ed una bionda ci mostrano il loro lato migliore.