In recent years, lingerie company Victoria’s Secret has been criticized for the drastic change in the appearance of its models, undergoing a woke, unattractive makeover. As the timeless adage “go woke, go broke” would entail, this has been detrimental to the financial performance of the women’s wear brand. The company is reportedly seeking to prioritize “sexiness” to drive the business back in the right direction.
The brand sought to distance itself from a “hyper-sexualized” image by prioritizing “inclusivity” instead of the traditional look that drove it to success. Victoria’s Secret partnered with figures such as the woke leftist U.S. soccer player Megan Rapinoe and a transgender model. The brand even axed its famous Victoria’s Secret “Angels” models.
While these moves received positive feedback from the critics, cheering on the initiative, they did not translate effectively to increased sales. Subsequently, Victoria’s Secret’s projected full-year 2023 revenue is roughly $6.2 billion, a 5 percent drop from last year. This is also a far cry from the company’s 2020 revenue of $7.5 billion.
Conservative personality Tomi Lahren slammed the woke direction the brand was heading in, stating, “Victoria’s Secret has been an iconic brand for decades but if you’ve shopped there in the last few years you may have noticed..shall we say…a branding change. Mannequins are larger, the iconic “Angel” fashion shows are no more and the overall aesthetic is not what it used to be. And perhaps that’s why the brand has been closing stores right and left for the last few years, and now their latest CEO of woke- Amy Hauk- is stepping down. Since, shares have tumbled 5.65% and there’s no telling if the company can rebound.”
The American Tribune reported earlier this year on why the lingerie brand was “going broke” as a result of “going woke.” Victoria’s Secret CEO Martin Waters commented on the company’s strategic direction, pointing out the backlash from its consumer base.
“When we first announced our repositioning, we got a significant amount of mail from people who said, ‘This is terrible, you’re scorching the earth, you’re spoiling your brand. We love the way it was before. Why are you changing it?’” Waters said.
He also alleged “the haters have gone away,” claiming the backlash eventually died down. However, as sales fell, it suggested that along with the “haters,” a substantial portion of the consumers turned away from the brand as it departed from the sexualized image that drove sales for years.
Waters then admitted the woke inclusivity branding at the company was a poor business strategy, stating, “Despite everyone’s best endeavours, it’s not been enough to carry the day.” The company is reportedly revamping its strategy and seeking to improve profitability and return to revenue figures of over $7 billion.
In a presentation to investors, executives at Victoria’s Secret made it clear that the company would return to embracing sex appeal as it had in the past. Despite continuing to use liberal buzzwords, possibly to appease the woke mob, brand president of Victoria’s Secret and Pink Greg Unis said, “Sexiness can be inclusive, the company’s sub-brand targeting younger consumers. Sexiness can celebrate the diverse experiences of our customers and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Featured image credit: Rowanlovescars, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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