Is Victoria's Secret Ushering In New Chapter With Supermodel Campaign?

Victoria’s Secret might, slowly but surely, be finding its footing.  

The lingerie brand’s new Icon campaign, promoting its Push-Up Demi Bra, brings together recognizable Victoria’s Secret personalities with the brand’s fresh faces.

From Adriana Lima, Naomi Campbell, and Giselle Bündchen to Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser, and Adut Akech, the editorial campaign sees the supermodels posing against plain backdrops, bringing their unique personalities to the forefront.

The campaign, photographed by Mikael Jansson, leveraged the participants’ supermodel status to send a clear message to audiences – Victoria's Secret is back.

However, the journey to the VS rebrand didn't happen overnight.

After the departure of Les Wexler, CEO and founder of L Brands, in 2021, the iconic lingerie brand had to take a heads-on approach to refresh its outdated marketing strategy. 

The Last Hurrah at Victoria’s Secret

With consumers worldwide holding beloved brands to higher standards, the iconic lingerie brand took a hit for its male-centric advertising and lack of inclusivity.

With fewer annual viewers for what was once the biggest lingerie event of the year, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the last event took place in 2018, proving that VS was in dire need of a rebrand.

Soon after, the company announced a five-year turnaround, aiming to increase its $6.8 billion profit in 2021 to $7.4 billion at the end of the turnaround plan.

Audiences were increasingly turning to publicly support reputable brands that share their values and even established brands like Victoria’s Secret were no exception to changing consumer behavior.

Victoria’s Secret Broadens Its Horizons 

The lingerie brand placed a key focus on inclusivity with a new marketing team, product portfolio, and brand ambassadors.

It released its first collection of maternity bras following Wexler’s departure. Later that year, it developed a collection of mastectomy bras.

These product releases coincided with the launch of VS Collective, a community featuring real-life VS consumers and body-positive role models from a variety of industries.  

Additionally, VS publicly announced that it would now be displaying curvy mannequins in stores worldwide, broadening the image audiences have of what it means to be a “Victoria’s Secret Icon.”

A change in its advertising style, product development, and marketing communication, has Victoria’s Secret regaining its position as a successful lingerie brand.

With this approach, it's not difficult to imagine a new-and-improved edition of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in the future, one that all women might want to watch.

Edited by Nikola Djuric