THE BUDDY SYSTEM: Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s Hollister brand has joined forces with 18-year-old Natalie Hampton and her antibullying app, Sit With Us. Hampton, a victim of bullying herself, created the app when she was 16 to help students find allies and lunch buddies at school. The app now has more than 100,000 users in eight countries.
The partnership acknowledges Hollister’s 2018 support of National Bullying Prevention Month. This year represents the brand’s sixth antibullying campaign. Kristin Scott, Hollister’s brand president, said, “Sit With Us is the perfect partnership for Hollister, aligning well with Hollister’s brand value of celebrating the freedom to belong.”
Hollister has focused on promoting inclusivity and raising awareness of antibullying, as well as providing resources for middle and high school students in need. Since 2013, the teen brand has raised and donated slightly over $1.7 million to local, national and global organizations that support antibullying efforts, and awarded scholarships to 50 students who have overcome bullying in their lives. The brand in July noted that multiplatinum recording artists Khalid and Noah Cyrus joined Hollister’s #CarpeNow initiative for the balance of 2018, and they will be a part of the Hollister and Sit With Us campaign.
Hampton said, “I believe school and especially lunch should be fun for everyone.” She noted that it has been “great to see that the simple tool can be effective and have a positive impact on my peers.”
Hollister is also bringing awareness to Sit With Us and the importance of inclusivity through a product collection that’s available globally and designed in collaboration with Hampton. Customers can show their support by rounding up their purchase at the register in all of Hollister’s U.S. stores, and for the first time online, through the end of October.
Natalie Hampton of Sit With Us.
TheMatthewSmith.com