Website and Marketing
Gillyhicks.com first launched as a promotional website. This marketing technique was first implemented on RUEHL No.925 from 2004-2007. Today, Gilly Hicks operates an online store. From 2008-summer 2010, it was the most conceptual of the A&F homepages using Adobe Flash Player extensively, but has since been converted to a regular website. The brand launched its much waited-for online store on January 28, 2009. GH also operates a careers website.
The same sexual marketing tactics used for the Abercrombie & Fitch brand are also implied on Gilly Hicks marketing. It is considered a "fine line between sexy and soft-core porn." Mike Jeffries has stated that A&F is all about sex, and Gilly Hicks is the perfect concept to embody this aspect through exposing "a lot of skin" in its advertising. Photography is shot by Bruce Weber who does all other A&F brands' photography. Weber has a history of sexually provocative imagery, most notably for Calvin Klein underwear. Unlike most marketing for female-exclusive brands, men also are included to appeal to heterosexual women. The marketing photos are rendered to Sepia tone. For Christmas 2009, a collection of psychadelic-colorful and racy photographs, akin to images from A&F Quarterly, were debuted, featuring a menage-a-trois picture inspired by the pop culture hype generated by Britney Spears' 3. Since then, GH marketing has included colorful photography in marketing, also recycling previous A&F photography.
The catchphrase "Down Undie(s)", which is a play on "Down Under", also plays a key role in advertisement. GH sent out emails to its subscribers titled Welcome Down Undie and saying " check back to see what we're working on Down Undie."
Read more about this topic: Gilly Hicks