Marketing in the News: Victoria's Secret Ditches the "Angels"

While sifting through article after article waiting for something to catch my attention, I stumbled upon this article about Victoria's Secret. Now I have always been a HUGE fan of the product because the bras fit right and they usually last a very long time, I am rarely having to go buy new bras. BUT, I have never really been a big supporter on how they have portrayed women and what it is that the woman wants. Well all of that is about to change and I couldn't be more excited!

Victoria's Secret was founded by a man that wanted to create a place that men would feel comfortable shopping for lingerie. It was then transformed into a phenomenon that has shaped societies view of female sexuality and beauty ideals. This then led to the "Angels" (supermodels that have the "ideal" body for a woman, according to men) and the runway shows where these "perfect" woman would parade around in sexy lingerie. 

"I’ve known that we needed to change this brand for a long time, we just haven’t had the control of the company to be able to do it." - Martin Waters (chief executive)

After the Epstein investigation in 2019, it came to light that the owner, Mr. Wexler and Ed Ryzek (chief marketing officer), had close ties with Mr. Epstein. Moving forward with the rebrand, these men will not be part of Victoria's Secret (woo-hoo!). There will be different sized mannequins, the Angels material will be phased out, expanding into sportswear, maternity clothing, and larger sizes. 

There are seven women that form the VS Collective that are working together to advise the brand, appear in ads, and to ultimately promote Victoria's Secret. They were chosen for their achievements and not their proportions. They are going to redefine what "sexy" means and what Victoria's Secret represents and sells. This will not be an easy task and I am sure that they will have some backlash, but I for one think this is a HUGE step in the right direction and I am that much happier and more likely to spend money there. They will loose some customers, but I believe that they will gain so many new customers and supporters. 

"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." - Simon Sinek

The women in the Collective are:

Megan Raphinoe

A 35-year-old pink-haired soccer star and gender equity campaigner.

"I think functionality is probably the sexiest thing we could possibly achieve in life. Sometimes just cool is sexy, too.”

Eileen Gu 

17-year-old Chinese American freestyle skier and soon-to-be Olympian

Paloma Elsesser 

29-year-old biracial model and inclusivity advocate, who was the rare size 14 woman on the cover of Vogue

Priyanka Chopra Jonas 

38-year-old Indian actor and tech investor.