Wednesday 6 April 2011

Jack Wills did a rudie.

Jack Wills Latest Catalogue Preview
Inappropriate or what?

It's not as if they're even sexy underwear. The 'fabulously British' label seems to have rudely mistaken itself for some sort of Anne Summers wannabe. Somehow, I don't ever think that that will be the immediate association with the mention of the words - Jack Wills. It's the antithesis of what it stands for: country living, quintessentially British, high quality, meticulously crafted clothing.

I have to ask Jack, what is with the tack? I just dont geddit. It doesn't suit your wholesome image.

Adding fuel to the fire, the above image is not the only one being branded as "overtly sexy" and "offensive". Nineteen people complained about a total of four of the pictures in its latest spring catalogue, stating that the images "were unsuitable for a catalogue targeted at teenagers.” Jack’s response? "The brand is aimed at university students over the age of 18." What with the slogan ‘university-outfitters’, this essentially bears a degree of truth. But when thirteen year old teenagers are championing the label, head-to-toe, it poses the question; is the brand even aware of their consumer market? This latest campaign suggests not.

Jack Wills has a notorious reputation at my university. I was whole-heartedly, blissfully unaware of what Jack Wills even was, before October 2008. With it being in York, I expected it to be some sort of fine, one-of-its-kind tea room. The hype over some fifty quid, frankly hideous pyjama bottoms just baffled me.

It's the university campus uniform, an image idolised by my brother's year nine, non-public school girl friends. It epitomises mummy bought me this and daddy got me that. It is the ultimate symbol of a public school, country house, fox shooting upbringing i.e. look at all my cash. It is the perfect illustration of 'coporate whoring', to which we are all guilty of, no question about it but this is the extreme. It is essentially a fad teenage wannabe rahs are buying into for only literally, the words "Jack Wills Lacrosse Club", to be plastered across their chests, thighs and apparently now their boobs and derrieres. Have you ever played lacrosse? Do you even know what it is? Probably not.


I'd rather spend the £98 you forked out for, what is essentially, a puffa jacket, in Urban Outfitters.

Yes I would love to be clad, head-to-toe Chanel / Chloe / McQueen. BUT that's 'cos they're amazing clothes and to be honest, I don't even think it's a worthy comparison contemplating. Just to clarify I am not hating on the concept of 'The Brand.'


As the Telegraph so eloquently puts its; “Parents have been fist-pumping in protest, most likely because they've realised they have been forking out £59 for a hoodie only for dear Cammy and Hugo to get down and dirty in it.”

Tru dat.


Helen,

X

Apparently, as it transpires, the photos are part of their pitch to the American market where it faces tough competition from the likes of Ambercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and other 'hoody and tee giants'.
How to fight off this competition? Sell 'sex' obvz.

47 comments:

  1. Haha this made me laugh! Great post!

    I remember when they opened a Jack Wills near me, I was in Topshop and my boyfriend dragged me out and said "Look! A shop that sells pyjamas like you students wear"!

    xxx

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  2. honestly i had no idea what jack wills was until i went to uni either! and then when i came back to newcastle i noticed it'd been invaded by rahs too? my 12 year old niece wears jack wills and it makes me feel sick. it totally is the "look what my dad can afford" mentality. it's horrible that it's now branched out to such young children too, when i was 12 i didn't care about brands (still don't) or anything like that really. BACK IN MY DAY ETC!

    x

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  3. Haha, loved reading this and I totally agree! You would think with the last name 'wills' I would have some affinity with the brand-but I really dislike it (actually that is a lie-my family has 4 'Wills' mugs, in different colourways-sad I know.)
    Not only is it so overpriced, the clothing is SO BORING. I know it's for comfort but, come on-wearing a thrifted flannel and cutoff levis is comfy too-and a fifth of the price!
    xxx

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  4. Anonymous4/06/2011

    great post! I never cared about brands until I was 16/17 (and then it was all about DKNY and Morgan!!) - and £59 for pj bottoms...?! eek!!

    xx

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  5. oh i hate this stuff, its purely for the name, not the look of the stuff..just makes me cringe to be honest! x

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  6. i lovee this blog !

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  7. Haaaa so true. Manchester pretty much bleeds it. But it's a complete paradox. My ex used to buy me loads of the stuff (obviously I wasn't "British" enough.. Oh well the hoodies are good to wash the car in.
    Oh and... I know that girl. Side boob just got a little more awkward.

    london girl up north

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  8. I totally agree with u...

    I FOLLOW U; FOLLOW ME BACK, if u like it ;)

    IdaLinda K.
    charmisanattitude.blogspot.com/

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  9. Thank you for your comment!
    I didn't know that label.
    x

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  10. A great post. I completely agree with you.

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  11. I noticed this too!
    hahah I was quite shocked! x

    www.hazzaapee.blogspot.com

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  12. Woah I feel a bit naughty looking at that haha!
    I had no idea what Jack Wills was either till Uni. Really its a status symbol to how loaded you are. Quite frankly its nothing special.
    Sophie
    x

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  13. Great article!
    By the way, I've sent the collar yesterday ;)

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  14. Totally agree with you!
    Great post xx

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  15. My sister LOVES Jack Wills but I can't stand it, I think that it is SO overpriced but then again I have never seen the appeal of trackies and hoodies anyway!

    Maria xxx

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  16. Anonymous4/06/2011

    thankyou for your lovely comment, i only take my pictures either on my macbook, or my little digital camera, and the pictures in that post were taken on my digital! i sometimes use my families camera, but its easier to use the digital :)

    i cant stand jack wills! its just ridiculously overpriced and seriously not good stuff anyway!

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  17. I only heard of Jack Wills a couple of years ago when they started marketing at my school in the US and I'm surprised to see this images from them- doesn't seem like any of their other ads at all!

    star-crossed smile

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  18. Never heard of Jack Wills.I find those photos most definitly inappropriate. They make Abercrombie&Fitch and American Eagle look tame.

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  19. I mean I like the idea of not making sex a tabu but this is inappropriate and personally not pleasing to my eyes. I like the way you write
    and thank you for the comments in my blog btw

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  20. Hahaha I agree with this post and I love your writing style! Your blog is amazing, I'm following you now.

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  21. haha i read it in the metro this morning, it doesnt even look its advertising anything anyways!and you cant stop teenagers looking at it etc!x

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  22. Super lovely blog!

    xoxo,

    colormenana.blogspot.com

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  23. Just found your blog, first post I've read and I LOVE it. Couldn't agree more, discovered what Jack Wills was only when I arrived at uni in Leeds and questioned why everyone went to lectures in PJ bottoms. 'Because they're £60 pyjama bottoms from Jack Wills'. Still didn't really explain it.

    AND it bugs me that they can market themselves as a university outfitters when their clothes are clearly an absolute rip-off not at all suited to most student budgets AND they don't do student discount.

    Nothing bugs me more than seeing girls dressed head to toe in JW, with UGGs, hair extensions and a tonne of fake tan. Why spend so much money to look like everyone else?!

    Ok. rant over. LOVE the post!
    Charlotte

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  24. JW is so overpriced!!! (makes me angry...)

    XOXO, BECCA
    http://www.fashion-train.co.uk

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  25. ha, I'm pretty sure the marketing teams know that it's innappropirate but the more innappropirate it is the more hype it gets from the media. booo! yeah I don't mind the nudity and stuff in the pic but its just not tastefully done that's all

    love your blog, I'm your newest follower!

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  26. i actually cant believe this! only just saw it and im appalled. JW was at the top of its game and now its gone down in my estimation!

    being-emily.blogspot.com :) Follow me back! :) X X

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  27. i have been (blissfully?) unaware of jack wills until now...not a great first impression. this is not sexy in a classy way, it's just plain inappropriate. definitely an interesting post :)

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  28. woow :D

    www.ourdestiantioon.blogspot.com

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  29. hahah great post, very 'classy'... thanks for the comment!
    Forever Chic,
    Amber
    http://thehuesmiles.blogspot.com/

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  30. hah, the telegraph are spot on! you too, their stuff is just tooo pricey xx

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  31. Hmm never heard of this brand (I'm a Dutchie), but the ad comes off a bit desperate. Like those ridiculous American Apparel ads...Those are way worse I know but it seems that nowadays that is the way to go like you said...Sigh

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  32. Bloody JW. And A&F. Hollister. It's all the same. Boring, so far removed from what it should really stand for, and in all honesty, this campaign does not surprise me. The demographic who were Jack Wills ambassadors in my year at school would have at least another 2 people in on the action in this picture with them. No word of a lie. jazzy ♥

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  33. Haha, what a brilliant post - totally agree.

    And go, Telegraph! x

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  34. Haha funny post! Definitely agree. My sister has been wearing Jack Wills since she was about 12. And also there is nothing about that advert that makes me want to buy the underwear!
    Sami xx
    highstreethub.blogspot.com

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  35. love the post...and so true said

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  36. haha this is great!x

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  37. I love the way you write!
    Enticing! Thx for your comment, hon.

    I'm following x

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  38. Such a great post
    I agree wholeheartedly
    And as far as I'm concerned this is more trashy than sexy

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  39. Love Love Love this post.
    I'll admit I do like some of the style of clothing in there, but AM NOT willing to fork out £98 for what you get. I managed to get a gilet like the one you mentioned in the post for about £20 in New Look, minus the 'fur'. Just as comfy and just as practical, without the ridiculous price tag.
    JW, A&F and Hollister (don't even get me started on Hollister) are all pretty much clones of each other to me. I could probably whip up their whole collection with some Primark t-shirts and white felt and it'd look the same lol
    xoxo

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  40. I enjoyed this article SO SO MUCH! It's about time someone said something!

    Emma x

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  41. Hah great post, although the Telegraph is probably the paper of choice for all those brats mummys and daddys.. I only knew what it was at uni too as there was a shop in Brighton and people were walking around in Uggs and hoodies/trackies from there. It really is just like A&F and Hollister so why bother with the USA market x

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  42. Haha I love this post so much! Very well put!

    Coco xxx

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  43. Ha, I LOVE this post! I completely agree with all of it.

    Jack Wills is pretty much the second uniform at my school, which is a HIGH school (a further example of JW being completely oblivious to the actual age of many of their consumers). I used to feel so pressured into buying Jack Wills because it was 'what everyone else wears' so inevitably I ended up buying some items, there are one or two that I actually still feel I like and still wear but looking back I cannot believe the crazy amounts I spent on them. It's definitely just a status symbol, I think this partly contributed to why I felt so pressured to buy it. I look back now and I have no idea why I bought into the whole thing!

    Once again awesome post, I wish I could write so well!

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  44. "It is essentially a fad teenage wannabe rahs are buying into for only literally, the words "Jack Wills Lacrosse Club", to be plastered across their chests, thighs and apparently now their boobs and derrieres. Have you ever played lacrosse? Do you even know what it is? Probably not."

    Oh my goodness, you fabulous thing. This paragraph basically sums up my entire opinion of the kids that go to my uni. How fantastic.

    YOUR BLOG IS MARVELLOUS. And thank you for you lovely comment x

    www.ihategracefulpeople.blogspot.com

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  45. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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