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Branding your hospital: welcome to the Abercrombie & Fitch ER 

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If you're looking for somewhere to get those ab implants done, head to Columbus Children's Hospital in Ohio. It has just renamed its ER the Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center.It isn't the first time that the Columbus Children's Hospital has adopted a new moniker in gratitude to its corporate sponsors. Previously it changed its name to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, to acknowledge a $50m gift from Nationwide insurance.

Why would you even brand hospital? I'm stumped. Does the marketing director know what happens in these places? They have a body count. On the plus side the doctors and nurses are all extremely hot. Kidding. Sort of.

But the Nationwide deal wasn't the problem. It is the Abercrombie & Fitch one that has raised eyebrows after the group, also based in Ohio, made a $10m donation. That isn't a donation if you change the name of your ER, that's sponsorship.

According to a report in the New York Times, as diverse a collection of concerned parties including the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, leading pediatricians and the Parents for Ethical Marketing, is calling on the hospital to reconsider. The donation dates back to 2006, but ground is to be broken this year for the building to house the ER facilities.

"It is troubling that a children's hospital would name its emergency room after a company that routinely relies on highly sexualised marketing to target teens and pre-teens," the members of the coalition wrote in a letter that was sent on Tuesday to the hospital’s office in Columbus, Ohio.

"The Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department and Trauma Center marries the Abercrombie brand to your reputation," said the letter, addressed to five senior officers of the hospital. "A company with a long history of undermining children’s well-being is now linked with healing."

They argue that naming the department after Abercrombie & Fitch ("get this boy down to A&F ricky tick …) sends a grievously wrong message. You think?

I mean what is A&F best know for? Provocative (read sexual) advertising for revealing clothing. And this is for a children's hospital. I think at this point I'll just say something like "is nothing sacred?" and mean it.
Published Mar 12 2008, 09:16 AM by Gordon Macmillan
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Gordon Macmillan

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Member since: 03 Jun 2008

Last login: 25 Nov 2009

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