Five years ago, Victoria’s Secret put on its last fashion show. This show was an iconic event each year where viewers would see their favorite models glide down the catwalk in angel wings, wigs, and accessories. The most popular artist at the time would perform, too. A line of models would parade in the brand’s lingerie for around 42 minutes. The tradition lasted for 20 years and was watched in more than 100 countries. It was beloved…until it wasn’t.
During a time of heightened awareness for women’s rights, starting with the MeToo movement in 2017, Victoria’s Secret began getting backlash. People started to call out the brand for being out of touch with real women, being the antithesis of what women were trying to accomplish. So Victoria’s Secret retired its wings and its show.
Now, VS has decided to rebrand. And that being the case, I’m sharing some insight from the perspective of a branding professional.
On September 26, Amazon Prime dropped the film The Tour ’23, which shows all the work the brand has done to change its image and be more inclusive to women around the world. This documentary is mainly about giving women a platform without gaining capital from it.
So what’s gotten everyone upset? The campaign choices. Victoria’s Secret has become extremely active on its Instagram, posting daily. One of the campaign themes dropped was “Icons,” featuring some of the most iconic ’90s and 2000s models. People responded well to the older models. Yet some of the new influencers and current models in the campaign were bashed for not being true icons or real supermodels. People also thought the new models looked unkempt and their garments were unflattering. Spectators claimed that they would have preferred the original campaign instead. Feedback from your audience is so important to take note of when running a digital campaign.
Overall, I think Victoria’s Secret had the right intentions, but there’s been far more backlash from the new campaign than the original one. The original show was very successful. The VS brand is popular, but it’s been stripped and remodeled, leaving people disappointed. The downfall of this Victoria’s Secret social media campaign was the company’s failure to listen to its massive following. Social media enables the brand to know what followers want, but it seems VS neglected the opinions of its audience. The campaign ultimately backfired, and fans were let down when they didn’t see the campaign they were familiar with. Fortunately for Victoria’s Secret, it’s been a household name for a long time, so it may still have time to repair the damage.
Madison Trumino
Account Coordinator
SCG Advertising & PR
