The fashion house is trying to move away from its male gaze and emphasize more inclusive messaging. However, customers don’t seem to be catching on to the changes. The February ad campaign featured multi-racial, ethnically diverse women, including some who appeared to be models. The brand has also added more mannequins of different body types. The new campaign is designed to help women feel more confident and beautiful.
Victoria’s Secret has a long history of controversy. Models have posed naked for unpaid shots for the company. Some of these images were compiled into limited-edition books and sold for thousands of dollars. In addition, the brand has come under fire for its role in sexualizing younger girls. But, as its popularity has grown, the company has worked to improve the image of its products. This includes its marketing strategies and its advertising.
Roy Raymond founded Victoria’s Secret in 1977. He had trouble interacting with the salespeople at other lingerie stores. This led him to research the industry and develop a business that would appeal to women. He eventually expanded to over 100 stores across the United States. The brand is now renowned for its lingerie and underwear.
Victoria’s Secret has changed the image of the lingerie industry. More diverse brands have taken a larger slice of the market and have affected sales. But the brand has tried to redress this trend by positioning its wares as embodying fierceness and feminine strength. This has helped the brand change its image in the public eye and gained more fans.
In the late 1990s, the Victoria’s Secret brand went through a major transformation. It changed its board of directors and executive team. Now, all but one member of the board is a woman. It also swapped out its Angels for a new group of celebrities and lesbian soccer champ Megan Rapinoe. In addition to being more diverse, this new group also promoted the brand on social media.
Although the brand is still the most famous lingerie brand in the U.S., its declining sales have caused its valuation to fall. Its CEO, Leslie Wexner, is stepping down from the company’s parent company L Brands in 2020. Victoria’s Secret will then separate from L Brands and become a standalone company.
As the company went through several CEOs, the criticism of Victoria’s secret’s marketing campaign intensified. Its former money manager, Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested for sex trafficking in early 2019. Wexner said he was unaware of the criminal activity, and stepped down as CEO after the arrest. He also stepped down from the L Brands board. He also sold most of his stock.
Victoria’s Secret is a leading specialty retailer of lingerie and beauty products. Its diverse offerings include fashion-inspired lingerie collections, sports bras, comfortable sleepwear, and more. It also sells prestige cosmetics and fragrances. It has over 1,350 retail stores worldwide. A majority of its workforce is female. The brand is committed to inspiring women worldwide through its lingerie and bra-fitting experts, and is an advocate for social change.