The girls that see this advertizement begin to think if they continue to shop at the store, they could end up being with the guy on the bag. This ad is trying to show girls that if they shop at Abercrombie, they will be accepted by the boys on the bags. The appeal used is need for affiliation.
One of the Abercrombie bags I have is in black and white and it says "fierce" in red. The company made this bag black and white because people tend to associate black and white with classiness. When people see these bags, they believe that this product is very high quality and for more well-to-do people. They put the word "fierce" on this bag in red because red is a bold color. Both the word and the color show that you are going to be making a bold fashion statement that will make you stand out. This satisfies one's need for attention.
The appeals Abercrombie has been using are very smart and have been very successful.
It is interesting that you think that the Abercrombie and Fitch bags appeal to our need for affiliation. This is partly true, however I think that based on the details you point out in your response I would say that the bags appeal more to our need for attention and prominence. Simply carrying around a bag with a zoomed in picture of a half naked guy and bold red letters saying fierce appeal to our need for attention. We feel like if we wear Abercrombie clothing then we will be fierce, and people will pay attention to us. As you pointed out, the black and white aspect makes the bag seem somehow classy (even though its more the opposite). This and the fact that Abercrombie clothes are moderately expensive, we feel like we will be admired and respected, and have a high social status, satisfying our need for prominence. Good job Sophia!
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