Two ad campaigns stick out specifically to me, the “Perfect Body” campaign and the “Love Cloud Collection”. The “Perfect Body” campaign came out in 2014, and shows many very slim girls all in Victoria’s Secret undergarments, with the words “A Body For Every Body”. When clearly they are only showcasing one type of female body, in this campaign image. To me, this was before the time when people were really speaking out against the way that the female body was being portrayed by the media and different companies. And calling it the “Perfect Body” campaign, is also obviously problematic.
The second ad, the “Love Cloud Collection” came out in 2022 and has a very different vibe to it. It has a photo of women of different body types and ages, all embracing, with the words “The Love Cloud Collection”. You can tell by just looking at the two ads what time frame they come from, and what the beauty standards were at the time of the campaign launch. You can see in the 2022 ad that they are being more body positive and more open to other types of people. More than the 2014 ad, where they are showcasing more of the “traditional” standard for a model. Can you think of other brands that have had to rebrand their entire culture to evolve to new standards?
I enjoyed your post and reference to Victoria Secret and changes made in their advertising strategies and messaging. I respect and appreciate the change in advertising approach made by Victoria Secret. Since I am someone who buys some of their products on occasion, it is a welcome change to be able to go into their store and make purchases knowing that I am not a traditional model size.
ReplyDeleteIt is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. By changing the photos associated with their advertising, Victoria Secret went from aligning to hegemonic, patriarchal norms and made a positive switch to a more feminist perspective. Presenting females in different shapes and sizes challenges the notion that women are mere objects who should all look like traditional models and be pretty and sexy for the males of the world. It also shows respect and appreciation to men who may prefer women who are more curvaceous and takes away that stigma.
Another large company that appears to have taken a new direction with their visual advertising is Target. You can now walk into a Target store and see pictures of different-sized women in bikinis or lingerie. Target also had LGBTQ/Pride clothing placed strategically in the front of the store so that you encounter it upon entering. It makes a bold statement that challenges heteronormativity and hegemony in general and takes a feminist approach that respects women and men who align or conform to multiple gender styles and sexualities.
I liked your chosen example; the visuals drive home the point. I can not think of a company that has been successful with its inclusivity campaign but I know that Old Navy failed miserably. There was a time in 2021 when they widely expanded their size offerings at the same price and about a year after the expanded sizes were removed from more than half of their stores. The company over delivered and the need was not present within their customers to support the initiative. Now the majority of the Old Navy stores in the US do not carry plus sizes in store but they are available online.
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