Goodbye Angels, Hello Advocacy –The New Faces of Victoria’s Secret
Will the company be able to successfully rebrand?
There are endless sayings that speak of angels. Undoubtedly, we've all seen those quotes on our Pinterest feeds that read "The angel needs her devil," or "Be careful who you trust, the devil was once an angel." And we can't forget about the infamous line from It's a Wonderful Life, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." Yes, angels are fairly common in pop culture.
So common, in fact, that Victoria's Secret once chose the angelic being to be the symbol of their sultry lingerie brand. A Victoria's Secret Angel is a term that the company donned to their erotic models. For years, these Angels have appeared in magazine ads, television campaigns, and the notorious Victoria's Secret Fashion Show that was once an annual event. When the subject of angels is brought up, it is almost guaranteed that the retail brand, Victoria's Secret, will pop into mind, as they have been so closely intertwined for decades.
However, this all may be about to change. Victoria's Secret recently announced that they are looking to retire their renowned Angels and replace them with new faces– faces of equality and representation.
It's no secret that Victoria's Secret is highly controversial. With the number of scandals they have been involved in over the years, it's a surprise they remain as popular as they do. Not only has the company been accused of cultural appropriation, being transphobic, and not valuing inclusivity, but they have been publicly criticized for setting unrealistic beauty standards for women.
The previous Victoria's Secret Angels all had a few features in common– tall and thin with beautiful faces and stunning smiles. While, of course, there are shoppers who fit these characteristics (and they deserve appreciation, too), VS was seriously lacking in being inclusive of all consumers who differ in the matter of sizes, races, heights, and sexual orientations. In a world where the average American woman is a size 16-18 (as per the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology, and Education), being bombarded with posters of women who are a size zero while perusing the merchandise is not exactly a fair representation of the brand's customer base.
Working to change the narrative of how their company is perceived, the brand just revealed their new plan: out with the beauty-centered models, in with ambassadors who stand for more than just physical appearances. Known as the VS Collective, a new group of seven women are redefining what it means to be an image for the brand and setting a new standard that highlights accomplishments and empowerment.
The lineup consists of very different women with one related goal: to be an inspiring voice for inclusivity and equality. Their roles are to assist the brand with "collaborations, business partnerships, and cause-related initiatives." Amongst the group even includes actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and American soccer player Megan Rapinoe.
By partnering with successful women who are known to advocate for social causes such as gender equality rights, body positivity representation, and LGBTQ+ unity, it is evident Victoria's Secret aims to be seen in a new, more positive light. The question is, is it too late for them to change their image?
As consumers–and the world as a whole– are becoming more 'woke' and putting more emphasis and priority on social issues, almost every company out there that wants to remain successful has made alterations to accommodate this new wave of social justice. (Which, by the way, was long overdue.) Notably, a prominent competitor of Victoria's Secret, Aerie, has been applauded for incorporating diverse women in their campaigns and photoshoots. Noticeably absent from these changes throughout the recent years was none other than, you guessed it, Victoria's Secret. The company seemed to cling to their outdated values as long as possible until it could sustain them no longer.
Although the company is now making a genuine effort to adhere to the demands of this revolutionary generation (hello, it's about time), some predict it may just be too late to repair the tarnished reputation of Victoria's Secret that society and the media holds. After years of scandals and controversies, sometimes a picture just can't be put back together.
That being said, there are a bunch of powerful women on the new VS Collective board that are a force to be reckoned with. Model and actor Valentina Sampaio (who also happens to be Victoria's Secret first openly transgender model) aims to be a voice for the LGBTQ+ community, and actor and creator Paloma Elsesser promises to celebrate and embrace women of every body shape and size. With these motivating women, maybe the company will be able to pull in a broader range of consumers–and win back those they lost.
At the end of the day, it is hard to predict how the future endeavors of Victoria's Secret will play out. While we hope this rebranding will be met with praise and acceptance of diversity, only time will tell how this will unfold. Stay tuned.
