Mothers Against Drunk Driving have angrily taken on Abercrombie & Fitch, claiming the trendy clothing retailer's back-to-school catalog encourages underage drinking on college campuses.
A&F spokesman Lonnie Fogel insists it condemns underage drinking, has taken steps to make that clear - and claims that "MADD will only be satisfied if we can be flogged in public repeatedly."
Retailers, equipped with Teddy Roosevelt for safari, its target customers nowadays college students, has just launched its hybrid magazine - catalog including a two-page spread called "drink 101."
It provides 10 mixed alcoholic drinks recipe names such as "cerebral hemorrhage" and "touch" and tailoring spin - the - shooter games.
"Rather than the standard, spend indulge4 themselves beer drink some creative this semester," directory said.
"A&F has concocted a sampling of shooters perfect for after hours. Take out our chart, tack it to the wall and create a spinner for your drinking games."
A&F's "catalog is one of the most irresponsible and insensitive pieces of marketing material to have ever been produced," said MADD national president Karolyn Nunnallee.
"This is a blatant example of a big corporation putting profits ahead of the health and safety of their customers - the young people of America," she said.
She said last year 2,209 Americans between 15 to 20 were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes.
A&F's Fogel said the company has temporarily pulled catalogs from the stores in order to attach a warning sticker to the cover saying in part that "For some, part of college life involves partying and drinking - be smart and be responsible."
He said customers who received the catalog by mail will get a postcard with the same message, and that "in future issues any stories pertaining to the use of alcohol will also include messages that stress the responsibilities and warn about the hazards."
"We condemn underage drinking," Fogel said.
Nunnallee, who wanted the catalogs permanently pulled, blasted the sticker as just a "Band-aid" when surgery is needed.
"Simply put, Abercrombie's sticker response is not going to stick! It is wholly inadequate, very irresponsible and a slap in the face to every law-abiding American," she said.
A&F spokesman Lonnie Fogel insists it condemns underage drinking, has taken steps to make that clear - and claims that "MADD will only be satisfied if we can be flogged in public repeatedly."
Retailers, equipped with Teddy Roosevelt for safari, its target customers nowadays college students, has just launched its hybrid magazine - catalog including a two-page spread called "drink 101."
It provides 10 mixed alcoholic drinks recipe names such as "cerebral hemorrhage" and "touch" and tailoring spin - the - shooter games.
"Rather than the standard, spend indulge4 themselves beer drink some creative this semester," directory said.
"A&F has concocted a sampling of shooters perfect for after hours. Take out our chart, tack it to the wall and create a spinner for your drinking games."
A&F's "catalog is one of the most irresponsible and insensitive pieces of marketing material to have ever been produced," said MADD national president Karolyn Nunnallee.
"This is a blatant example of a big corporation putting profits ahead of the health and safety of their customers - the young people of America," she said.
She said last year 2,209 Americans between 15 to 20 were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes.
A&F's Fogel said the company has temporarily pulled catalogs from the stores in order to attach a warning sticker to the cover saying in part that "For some, part of college life involves partying and drinking - be smart and be responsible."
He said customers who received the catalog by mail will get a postcard with the same message, and that "in future issues any stories pertaining to the use of alcohol will also include messages that stress the responsibilities and warn about the hazards."
"We condemn underage drinking," Fogel said.
Nunnallee, who wanted the catalogs permanently pulled, blasted the sticker as just a "Band-aid" when surgery is needed.
"Simply put, Abercrombie's sticker response is not going to stick! It is wholly inadequate, very irresponsible and a slap in the face to every law-abiding American," she said.
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