No Secret: Sex Sells
Victoria’s Secret has perfected its recipe for success over the years: ad large portions of supermodels, mix in some feathery thongs and throw in a dash of angel wings.That combination, with some big-name advertising events to boot, has made the lingerie giant a winning business model – the chains’ 1,000 stores grossed over $5 billion in sales worldwide during the last fiscal year. It’s no secret at all. Sex sells and will always sell.
Part of Victoria’s Secret’s success, though, lies in its ability to successfully walk the fine line between sexy and sleazy, something that Calvin Klein and American Apparel have also achieved, albeit in a very different way." Clothing retailer American Apparel, for example, while lauded for its labor practices, has been unable to match Victoria’s Secret in dodging criticism for its provocative advertisements that feature barely clothed teens and twentysomethings. If placed side by side, Victoria’s Secret ads are rarely less provocative than their American Apparel counterparts. Both picture half-naked models.
So why does American Apparel – and other retailers – face more scrutiny? Maybe it’s in the models themselves. While Victoria’s Secret hires some the world’s most attractive women to dress down, American Apparel has become infamous for using ordinary men and women in its billboards and magazine ads, people one might find walking down the street or at the local coffee shop, bad skin and all. Or perhaps the secret lies in the post-production of the ads. Victoria’s Secret glittery add, often shot in exotic locals, are highly glossed, air-brushed examples of commercial photography at its best. American Apparel, on the other hand, guided by chief executive Dov Charney, takes pride in its raw, lo-fi photos, often shot using a Polaroid. The photos are not just sexy but real, adding a bit of shock value.
Charney has dismissed critics as misguided and says that he embraces the idea of “real” advertising that challenges the notions of conventional ads. “We try to find models that are real people,” Charney told Los Angeles Business Review. “They are 15 to 40, sometimes older. They look better than perfect because no one wants to be with a doll. They want to be with a human being. We get people who look like our customers so our customers can empathize with the sensuality, sexuality and appearance of the models.”
Translation: sex sells, whether its coated in glitter or unadorned.
Victoria’s Secret recently confessed to the Washington Post that its chain had become “too sexy.” To remedy the malaise – and sinking sales – the lingerie retailer featured model Adriana Lima, wearing a laced tank top and panties, in a Super Bowl ad.
It was the most popular ad of the broadcast.
