In digging around for something to post about today, I see that it’s exactly sixteen years since The Spice Girls released their upcoming Greatest Hits album, announcing that it would be exclusively available at the Victoria’s Secret lingerie chain for two months before it was released anywhere else.
Never really been a fan. (Yawn.)
Be that as it may:
This reminded me of another story I read this morning.
Apparently, Victoria’s Secret is on the ropes, and is conceding that its prioritization of “diversity initiatives” over “sexiness,” and its partnering with self-and America-hating nutjobs like Megan Rapinoe have about done it in.
It seems all those woke initiatives, made over the last few years, “never translated into sales.”
Imagine my surprise.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating body positivism, and including some rather healthy looking farmgirls in your ads and on your catwalk. After all, not every woman has the figure of a stick insect, or a sour puss worthy of Victoria (Posh Spice) Beckham.
But the genius of firms like Victoria’s Secret was that they made women feel special. And that (even only in her dreams), if a woman put on a piece of Victoria’s Secret lingerie, she’d feel beautiful. Even more so if her guy (also a marketing target) bought it for her. (Just another form of “body positivism,” IMHO.)
Ladies from a previous generation, such as myself, even if we rolled our eyes at the spectacle, dealt gently with the phenomenon and–miracle of miracles!–if a frippery bit of lace turned up in our Christmas stocking one day, put it in the drawer next to our other–rather Bridget Jones-y–undergarments, smiled to ourselves, and moved on.
Muddle that sort of marketing genius up with ugly, entitled, purple-haired shrieking harpies with chips on their shoulders about just about everything, and bearded “female” spokesthings, and you get exactly what you deserve.
And they did.
In the fashion outlet, Chen noted that the lingerie company’s attempt to stop the financial drain body-positive marketing was causing was to bring back its runway show format, and blend the sexiness the brand had become famous for with some of its more inclusive initiatives.
Victoria’s Secret…brand president Greg Unis summed up this direction for the company, reportedly telling investors, “Sexiness can be inclusive.”
Best of luck. Only just over ten weeks until Christmas….
