Victoria's Secret 'Perfect Body' Campaign Causes Huge Backlash, Inspires #IAmPerfect
Victoria’s Secret has come under fire after unveiling their new ‘Perfect Body’ campaign, with many accusing the famed lingerie brand of body shaming.
Victoria's Secret 'Perfect Body'
Victoria’s Secret recently launched a new campaign for their popular Body by Victoria line of bras, called ‘Perfect Body.’ The campaign uses 10 different models to advertise 10 different bra styles, together creating the ‘Perfect Body’ bra line.
Customers became enraged by the marketing campaign, saying that the campaign tells women around the world that only Victoria’s Secret Angels have perfect bodies.
What gives Victoria's Secret the right to say what a "perfect" body is?? Stop body shaming!! pic.twitter.com/m57SJ96mn1
— hb (@hannahmbooth) October 12, 2014
#IAmPerfect Movement
The campaign backlash inspired three women, Frances Black, Gabriella Kountourides and Laura Ferris to start a change.org petition asking that the company change their campaign and issue an apology.
“Victoria’s Secret’s new advertisements play on women’s insecurities, and send out a damaging message by positioning the words ‘The Perfect Body’ across models who have exactly the same, very slim body type. This marketing campaign is harmful. It fails to celebrate the amazing diversity of women’s bodies by choosing to call only one body type ‘perfect,’” reads the petition.
The petition, which garnered over 11,000 signatures in just a few days, also spawned a Twitter movement using the hashtag ‘#IAmPerfect.’
@VictoriasSecret are telling us only one body type is perfect. We think EVERY BODY is perfect, do you? #iamperfect https://t.co/8505Dngwnk
— Laura Ferris (@CardyGirl) October 28, 2014
Some have criticized the ‘I Am Perfect’ campaign for being too sensitive and for attacking thin women, but the founders of the movement maintain that their mission is to create a more inclusive idea of what a ‘Perfect Body’ is.
Our campaign is not about skinny shaming! Those models are stunning. Slim women are just as beautiful as women of any body type #iamperfect
— Frances Black (@FrancesNoir) October 30, 2014
Women around the world have been joining in the movement and posting on Twitter, and speaking out against advertisements that aim at dictating female beauty.
Victoria's Secret – stop bodyshaming young women! #iamperfect Sign the petition here https://t.co/jB3049yIR1 pic.twitter.com/u6wgbxvhpf
— Frances Black (@FrancesNoir) October 29, 2014
Dear @VictoriasSecret ALL body types are beautiful! This messaging is damaging to the young generation. #iamperfect pic.twitter.com/iDJ6wViduJ
— Jeanette Jenkins (@JeanetteJenkins) October 30, 2014
I wonder how much working out and throwing up I have to do until I look like a model for @VictoriasSecret. #iamperfect
— Molly Dee (@MollyDeeMusic) October 30, 2014
Victoria’s Secret has yet to respond to the ‘#IAmPerfect’ movement, but it’s competitors have been quick to jump on the bandwagon. American Eagle’s bra line, Aerie, for example, tweeted an ad using the hashtag. In January, Aerie launched a new campaign called ‘Aerie Real’ and pledged not to use supermodels or Photoshop in their ads.
“We think it’s time for a change. We think it’s time to GET REAL and THINK REAL. We want every girl to feel good about who they are and what they look like, inside and out. This means no more retouching our girls and no more supermodels. Why? Because there is no reason to retouch beauty. We think the real you is sexy,” read one of the first ‘Aerie Real’ ads.
We always keep it real. No supermodels. No retouching. We think the REAL you is sexy. #AerieREAL #IAmPerfect #TBT pic.twitter.com/WeUVVJUGQt
— Aerie (@Aerie) October 30, 2014
Dove Beauty, which has been showcasing diverse-looking women in their ads for years, also used the ‘I Am Perfect’ movement to their advantage, tweeting, “Today we celebrate the perfect REAL body and all women who have said “#IAmPerfect the way I am.”
Today we celebrate the perfect REAL body and all the women who have said "#IAmPerfect the way I am." #TBT pic.twitter.com/CFD2GfokGE
— Dove (@Dove) October 30, 2014
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