For its new campaign, called “The Love Cloud”, Victoria’s Secret has called on Puerto Rican model Sofía Jirau. At 25, the young woman with Down syndrome is used to walking the catwalks.
Victoria’s Secret takes another step towards inclusion. In his latest campaign, titled “The Love Cloud“, the American lingerie brand calls on a model with Down’s syndrome, Sofia Jirau. This 25-year-old Puerto Rican woman has been at the helm of her online clothing store, Alavett, since 2019 and is used to walking the catwalks. However, being part of the tops selected by Victoria’s Secret as part of this campaign is: “a dream come true. I’m happy to be able to show everyone that Sofía Jirau will shine all over the planet. I feel confident because the word “fear” not in my vocabulary“, declares the young woman in an Instagram post. powerful message discovered by its 462,000 subscribers on Instagram.
Victoria’s Secret continues its shift marketing
June 16, 2021. Victoria’s Secret announces the launch of VSCollective. After years of promoting a chimerical beauty ideal via his army of Angels – from mannequins to plastic considered perfect -, the brand changes its communication. From now on, its ambassadors will be “a group of accomplished women who are committed to driving positive change. These extraordinary partners, with their stories, interests and passions, will influence and shape the future of the world’s largest and most recognizable women’s brand.“. A whole program to which the Australian model of Sudanese origin has joined Adut Akechthe LGBTQIA+ activist soccer player Megan RapinoeIndian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas or the Brazilian transgender model Valentina Sampaio.
With his campaignThe Love Cloud“, Victoria’s Secret therefore once again affirms its desire to be an inclusive brand. “The collection is represented by 18 dynamic women, reaffirming Victoria’s Secret’s commitment to celebrating all women“, specifies the label in its press release. If, for Victoria’s Secret, being more inclusive was urgent, it is tempting to wonder about the reasons for such a change of direction. The claw, owned by L Brands Group until 2021displayed a 7% drop in turnover in 2019 and 27% in 2020. So, economic opportunism, tokenism or a real desire to show the plurality of women in its campaigns? What is certain is that the brand has decided to get involved financially for them. On the occasion of Black History Month 2022, which runs every year from 1er February to 1er march and celebrates the achievements of African-Americans and their role in the history of the United States, the label for example announced a donation of 100,000 euros with Zora’s House, a community and co-working space for racialized women in Ohio. In November 2021, Victoria’s Secret also created a fund dedicated to research on women’s cancers. It remains to be seen whether the customers seeking to (re)conquer the brand will be sensitive to the new image that Victoria’s Secret is trying to build.