American Apparel CEO Dov Charney on His Controversial Sandy Ad

A few days ago, when Sandy was just a silly-sounding Frankenstorm, the marketing appeal was undeniable. Graphic Image staged a "Franken Storm Franken Sale" that invited customers to take 15 percent off the leather diaries, notebooks and everything else on its website, and sports retailer Owner Operator had its own FRANKENSTORM discount. Urban Outfitters blasted out its offer in an email that declared: "This Storm Blows But Free Shipping on All Orders Doesn't." Even Singer22, a trendy Long Island clothing retailer in the path of the storm, hawked its hurricane sale with the slogan: "Every cloud has a silver lining."