Victoria’s Secret Is Re-Branding With Help From Megan Rapinoe And Priyanka Chopra
Victoria’s Secret was once the epitome of “hot” and the nostril-destroying scent of all their lotions and sprays and shit ruled malls for years, but then the lingerie industry started to evolve and people asked, “Hey, you only use impossibly-thin mostly white women and that’s not really the vibe anymore.” And VS said: “Get fucked.” Until they didn’t! Now Victoria’s Secret is leaning all the way in. They are done with the Victoria’s Secret Angels and have cast soccer Queen and World Cup winner, Megan Rapinoe, and actress, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, as part of their new inclusive rebranding. Well, it ain’t no secret why Victoria is doing this: declining relevance.
Victoria’s Secret was absolutely decimated by the pandemic and had to close stores last year. via Slate:
Victoria’s Secret recently disclosed that its sales were down almost 50 percent, and it announced that it would permanently close about a quarter of its North American stores. It’s the bleakest financial moment in the company’s history.
The company has really tried to shift its image also because its longtime chairman and CEO, Les Wexner, was a mess with business ties to Jeffrey Epstein. But hey! They’re sort of having some success turning it around. Sure, Savage X Fenty has been eating them alive for years with their gender-accessible, multi-body-type sex appeal (crotchless leggings?!), but Victoria’s Secret has a plan: The VS Collective. Page Six exclusively learned that Megan and Priyanka have been hired to be spokespeople for the brand and honestly… it sounds like a snooze:
The beleaguered lingerie giant is relaunching and moving away from its traditionally rail-thin models by introducing The VS Collective with diverse “leading icons” and “changemakers” — including Jonas and Rapinoe — to “shape the future of the brand,” an industry insider told Page Six.
But don’t expect to see “White Tiger” star Chopra and Rapinoe — who has been a preeminent voice in the fight for women’s equal pay in the soccer world — posing in the firm’s famously flimsy, barely-there briefs.
We are told they are both being hired as spokeswomen and will instead appear on a podcast and in marketing materials for the recovering brand.
But these re-branding tactics seem to be working at least somewhat, as sales are actually coming up from their pandemic sufferings. Priyanka and Megan aren’t the only ones in for the re-brand, there are other diverse women involved including a trans model and a plus-size model. Wow, one plus-size model? Savage x Fenty said, “Try harder.”
Chopra and Rapinoe will join Sudanese-Australian model Adut Akech, freestyle skier Eileen Gu, Brazilian transgender model Valentina Sampaio, plus-size model Paloma Elesser, and journalist Amanda de Cadenet, who will host a 10-episode podcast where each of the women will share their stories.
“It’s a group of women inspiring change and positivity. It’s another step they’re taking towards transforming the brand. The entire industry thought Victoria Secret was done,” an insider said.
Here’s more info about the VS Collective:
Another source told Page Six:
“[The Collective] is completely cause-driven … The idea is to create this community of outsiders looking in. It’s a new generation for the brand that is more about inclusivity. And they [Victoria’s Secret] needed it if they wanted to stay afloat. The brand was stuck in an era that never evolved. It’s a different world now.”
“Cause-driven” is right: cause Savage X Fenty is driving them out of relevance! But they’re really giving it their all with the re-brand. Can’t wait for them to re-brand the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show as the Victoria’s Secret Ted Talk.
Pic: Wenn.com