Anthropologie has launched a precious gem of a campaign called ‘I Love Antro NYC’. Spell love with a heart, please. And skip the ‘h’.

If the 2024 US presidential campaign hadn’t been uprooted in the last month, the Anthropologie campaign would still be on point. It plays on the historic ‘I Love New York’ campaign, introduced by Milton Glaser in 1977.

In this case, models Barbara Palvin, Devyn Garcia, Taylor Hill and scads of New York dogs share an everyday romp around the city.

Photographer Yulia Gorbachenko [IG] is behind the lens, helping Anthropologie continue its winning streak into the fall 2024 season. Anthropologie’s Kyla Flax styles the shoot with creative direction by Chief Creative Officer Jisoo Kang. / Hair by Jonathan De Francesco; makeup by Frank B

Anthropologie and Free People Driving Urban Outfitters Growth

At a top level, URBN retail sales rose 5.8% in first quarter fiscal 2025 [2024 calendar actual], with same-store [comp] sales at 4.6%. Comp growth of 17.1% at Free People and 10.4% at Anthropologie masked the challenges at Urban Outfitters itself. Subscription brand Nuuly also posted strong growth.

Anthropologie Is What Heart Looks Like

Heart is visual and emotional and not some abstract Italian concept none of us have ever heard of.

These images are very much New York now — and also in the 70s. They are not ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ or ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ images. They are good-looking, humanist New York women with heart.

Brands With Heart Evoke Emotional Connection

Anthropologie’s brand and store experience has always appealed to our hearts, selling clothes that carried love into our closets. Now — for the first time in AOC’s memory — there is a massive wild card entering the advertising and marketing space.

It’s centered on Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate ‘Coach’ Tim Walz. It speaks to joy, love and an overwhelming connection to our best-selves as voters and as the American people.

This month-old political campaign is aspirational in a way we haven’t known since the later days of the 2008 Obama campaign. After Hillary dropped out of the primary and we all supported Barack Obama, our focus was on the epic achievement of electing a spectacularly-gifted young Black man as America’s president.

I feel Harris-Waltz is more directed to us rediscovering the goodness in ourselves. We are more circumspect today than in 2008. A very ominous change faces us today as Americans.

Can Anthropology Ride Higher on the Positivity Wave

This Anthropologie Fall 2024 campaign speaks to EVERYTHING a Harris-Walz win would signify. It speaks to joyful confidence — even women posing alone, except for the dogs.

AOC is not proposing that all marketing campaigns suddenly look like this one. That would be silly. Simply, I note Americans want to feel joy again and our patriotism as well — especially among Democrats and all progressive-values people. And definitely young people need some civic pride; they are our future.

We are DONE with MAGA thinking they own God and patriotism, when we believe they make a mockery of both concepts.

I cannot communicate the depth of real American psyche change that will happen with a Harris-Walz win. AOC isn’t looking at the situation with rose-colored glasses either, but profound change is possible.

Anthropology Is Perfectly Positioned

As for Anthropology, the brand doesn’t need to change anything, unless they want to, of course. You’ve always been selling bits of heart and joy, and clearly customers love you for your expert devotion to delivering clothing our better-angels selves.

Anthropology is very huggable, and I can’t think of a better place to reside in this moment.

Goodness comes in many forms, as does delight.

Lines of Communication Are Open

There’s tremendous work being done between old-school Republicans and Independents with the Democrats. We are very-much working together on future policies that address America’s deepest challenges. Major lines of communication have been opened among the parties, thanks to fearless Republicans with backbone.

It’s a slog ahead. But brands should note what’s happening here, because the attitudinal shift could be massive in America in the coming months. ~ Anne