Victoria’s Secret continues rebrand with new global push

As it continues to prove it is not your mother’s Victoria’s Secret, the underwear retailer is unveiling a global campaign that offers an honest look at what it means to be a woman today. Called “Undefinable,” the new push reinforces the uniqueness of individuality. It arrives 15 months after the Reynoldsburg, Ohio-based brand announced its reinvention, moving away from over-sexualized marketing toward body-positive advocacy.

A 60-second anthem video, featuring brand ambassadors such as singer Brittney Spencer, models Bella Hadid, Bethann Hardison and Adut Akech and athlete Rose Namajunas, bluntly spells out the changes. Text in the video reads, “Nothing can define us. Not your standards. Not your stereotypes. Not your fantasies. Not anymore.”

“Not only at Victoria’s Secret but in fashion in general, women have been very much stereotyped or put in an archetype,” said Raúl Martinez, executive VP and head creative director at Victoria’s Secret. “We know because the world has changed that the only person that can define herself or himself is the person.” He noted that women and men want to see a brand that celebrates them the way they are.

The campaign will run on social channels including TikTok, YouTube and Twitter, as well as at Victoria’s Secret’s New York flagship store. Out-of-home marketing like bulletins and urban panels will run in New York and Los Angeles. The women featured in “Undefinable” will also amplify the work through their own personal social media accounts. In addition, the video assets will run on connected TV. Victoria's Secret worked with Publicis' Digitas on media buying.

'Walking the walk'

Victoria’s Secret worked with Look Creative Agency on the new push. As a brand campaign not linked to a specific product, “Undefinable” will serve as a broad positioning throughout the seasons, Martinez said.

After revenue growth earlier this year, Victoria’s Secret & Co., which owns namesake lines in beauty and lingerie as well as the Pink brand, saw sales fall in its most recent quarter, reported in August. Second-quarter net sales fell 6% from a year earlier, to $1.5 billion. The retailer's profit fell to $67 million, down from $151 million a year earlier.

Victoria's Secret expects customers “will continue to be challenged by inflationary and other financial pressures for the balance of 2022, and we have adjusted our inventory position and cost structure accordingly while allowing for continued investment in growth initiatives,” CEO Martin Waters noted in a statement.

Since it began its rebrand, Victoria’s Secret has made commitments around increasing its diversity and women-focused initiatives. This past year, it said it would invest $25 million in women-owned and run businesses through its emerging businesses platform and a partnership with AmplifyHer Ventures, a venture capital firm. The company also achieved 100% pay equity for all genders, races and ethnicities, it said in a report.

Martinez noted the company is “walking the walk.” He said, “For me, one of the key pieces from a brand perspective is that it’s great to start putting things out there but we needed to do them internally to make sure we are following on that path.”

But there is still work to be done at changing public perception of the decades-old brand. For example, a song from TikTok star Jax poking fun at Victoria’s Secret for being “made up by a dude” recently made it to number 48 on Billboard’s Top 100.