Forever 21 is apologizing for selling a shirt that made light of rape

Forever 21 is discovering that one of its alleged humorous shirts is anything but funny.

The fast fashion chain is stoking outrage over a men’s T-shirt that stupidly makes fun of rape. “Don’t say maybe if you want to say no,” the shirt reads. Forever 21 is selling the shirt in stores and, at one point, sold it online.

In a statement to Digiday, Forever 21 said it “strives to exemplify the highest ethical standards and takes feedback and product concerns very seriously.” With that, it pulled the T-shirt from its website today and said it “sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended by the product.”

Still, it apparently took Forever 21 at least several weeks before it took action, as seen by pictures people posted of the shirt in stores:

Forever 21 isn’t new to controversy. Last month, its shoppers lashed the brand for its plus-size Instagram account with models that didn’t appear to fit the larger size.

https://digiday.com/?p=166400

More in Marketing

Marketing Briefing: Understanding CMOs’ top priorities ahead of the next Trump presidency

CMOs and agency execs say brands need to listen to voter feedback to understand if they know what resonates with consumers. 

AppLovin stands out in the latest round of quarterly earnings calls

Oracle’s exit from the ad business proves a boon for some as ad tech’s leading publicly listed companies continue to post gains (even if modest) as pundits moot consolidation.

As programmatic rises on Roblox, in-game studios are feeling the competition

Roblox’s programmatic video ad business, which launched in May of this year, represents a much more direct advertising revenue stream for the company, so it’s no surprise that Roblox has encouraged marketers to explore the opportunity over the past year.