Twenty-five years ago, French Model Laetitia Casta became a household name. Pretty thing, modeled women’s clothes and underwear. She could look sophisticated in a sweater or sexy in a teddy. And she helped start a dynasty that took women’s lingerie from the back of the store to the storefront.
She had a lot of famous help over the years, either famous going in as a model or famous after being one. They later added wings and called them angels—advertising brilliance. But once you’ve advertised sexy women in lingerie with wings (to sell undies, clothes, perfume, and accessories), what’s next? The not-so-obvious choice is transwomen and plus-size models, but they are your ad dollars; throw it at the wall, and maybe it sticks.
There is, of course, the pesky problem of human nature.
Unattractive people do not buy magazines to look at unattractive people; no one does. Nor do the obese. Just ask non-woke Madison Avenue for all its history until the rise of social justice scores and woke stupidity.
Don’t get me wrong (or do; I’m okay with that, too) – body positivity is an essential mental exercise, but it shouldn’t be monopolized as a euphemism for fat women. If the goal is to get you comfortable with a circumstance you can’t change today (or perhaps ever), be it weight, wardrobe, looks, your current work or relationships, or some physical handicap, body positivity as a concept might be what gets you to tomorrow. You need to feel good in your skin to focus on the rest of life because most of us live in that world. The one where what you do matters. Where being productive and valuable matters.
It’s not an easy thing, life, nor is it anyone else’s responsibility to make you feel good about being you (if they told you that they lied), but people will sell you things to get there from here, and there are rules of nature that apply.
A paraplegic competing in a marathon on high-tech “legs” is inspirational. A huge woman in a bustier – who may be the sexiest thing on God’s green earth to her lover, Rubens – will not sell as many bras and panties to everyone else. That doesn’t mean she’s not beautiful (inside or out). She might be a math genius, a soulful singer, a top-shelf software designer, or great with children. All things that should add to the sense of self, value, and inner beauty.
While the world owes you nothing, it cannot define your inner beauty (your job) or how that motivates you. The world will get in your way, but that doesn’t mean your vision is for anyone else because nature has a vision, at least for observable perfection, and we’re all wired into it. The Ad men and women know this, too.
People of all sizes, shapes, ages, and appearances are drawn to many things, but they are almost all drawn to The Golden Ratio. 1:1.618. The entire universe works like magic around it. And while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, universal beauty, regardless of race, culture, time, or space, always comes down to 1 to 1.618. Sticking ‘pretty’ men and large women in panties is not likely to inspire people who don’t typically pay attention to fashion shows or understand the math behind beauty to tune in to yours. They know what looks appealing, and so, once again, do the folks at Victoria’s Secret.
Going woke with oversized and transgender “angels” cost them 1.3 Billion in sales last year, so they’ve re-discovered a secret. It might be Victoria’s, or maybe not. Gillette learned the secret at a much higher price. If you accuse men of being bullies and bigots, they might stop buying your razors and other man-maintenance goodies. Their dance with the woke devil cost P&G about 8 billion.
Budweiser made Bud Light’s sales much lighter, singing to a similar tune. It won’t end them, but they lost millions of customers who’ve found other beers to drink and will never return.
So, what about Victoria’s Secret?
You don’t have to sell all the sizes on the runway to sell all the sizes you sell for every customer who might buy. And it pays to know your customer base. Don’t piss them off to pander to the latest round chambered in the progressive cultural revolver.
Take their advice. Be You! And Victoria’s Secret has decided to do that.
