A Turn in Advertising Tides: Real Bodies, Real Change

The tides are turning in the lingerie market, and prospects are dim for companies that aren’t prioritizing body positivity. Before, the super-padded (and super uncomfy) push up bras and unrealistic body standards of Victoria Secret reigned supreme. Now, in tandem with the body-positive and “MeToo” movements and with added emphasis from the COVID - 19 pandemic, customers have shown that they’re tired of the “perfect proportions” norm. Instead, socially-conscious, body positive companies are vying for the lingerie-market throne. According to Shelley E. Kohan writing for Forbes magazine, millennial customers account for significant market change. These customers are more inclined to factor company values such as social responsibility and body-positivity into their purchasing decisions than those shopping from earlier generations.

At the forefront of a the movement is a large shift in advertising: more and more clothing companies are swapping traditional advertising campaigns with campaigns that seem to be not-so-radical at all - ones that use beautiful models that adequately represent the human population. These campaigns employ models of all different body sizes, shapes, and skin tones. There’s something to be said about looking at modeled clothing and seeing a more accurate representation of your body: I think it makes a customer more likely to purchase. Not only are the campaigns taking the body positive movement by storm, but they’re also boosting their sales.

Aerie, the intimate apparel sub-brand of American Eagle Outfitters and a rival of Victoria’s Secret, was one of the first companies to pledge allegiance to the body-positive movement when they launched their “AerieREAL” campaign in early 2014. As part of its campaign, Aerie abandoned photoshop and retouching in favor of celebrating natural bodies. The company stopped doctoring their photos and made an effort to use a wide array of “real” body types in their advertisements, not just stereotypical models. Aerie’s 2014 switch aimed to empower women and promote diversity. Aerie’s models, called “Role Models,” represent a variety of communities: not only are different races and body types celebrated, but also different abilities. The Aerie community has responded positively to the campaign in droves. Jennifer Foyle, the director of the “AerieREAL” campaign, says that the key is listening to customers when deciding how best to represent the diverse Aerie community. The body-positive campaign hasn’t just proved to have a positive impact on consumers, but also on the brand’s profit margin. In 2015, one year after the launch of the AerieReal campaign, Aerie’s sales went up by 20 percent. In 2016, 32 percent. While Victoria’s Secret (a rival company which claims the opposite type of messaging) is struggling to keep its doors open, Aerie continues to thrive and plans to open 60 new physical stores in the 2021 year. In contrast, Victoria’s Secret plans to close more than 250 brick-and-mortar locations.

Many large brands have followed suit when it comes to more accurately representing their communities in their online stores and in-print magazines. ModCloth was the first brand to sign the “Heroes Pledge for Advertisers”, a pledge started in 2014 to end retouching and photoshopping. Now, other large corporations such as Dove, ASOS, and Target, bow down to the reign of natural beauty and body positive advertising.

Image Source:

https://www.wellandgood.com/bra-for-every-body-type-aerie/