Editor’s note: Brenda Martinez is a junior creative strategist at creative agency New Moon, New York.
It feels like Victoria's Secret has been falling out of favor for years, first gradually and then suddenly. The decline was precipitated by former exec Ed Razek's transphobic and body-shaming remarks and the subsequent cancellation of the VS Fashion Show as we all know it. For a few years after, the heritage brand was relatively silent and unchanging as its competitors revolutionized the space, from Aerie's game-changing shift away from retouching photos to Savage x Fenty's Vol.1 Show at NYFW.
That silence ended a few weeks ago, when the brand introduced The VS Collective. The Collective's seven founding members represent multiple age groups, races and careers, and include World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe, activist Paloma Elsesser and journalist Amanda de Cadenet, among others. The announcement is part of the brand's break from its previous image and toward a 180° rebrand.
In this blog, I’m going to break down some of the key takeaways from this heritage brand's revamp – from sharing what the brand is doing well to where they should push some boundaries.
The VS rebrand process – transparency
CEO Martin Waters admitted that Victoria's Secret has been slow to change with the pace of culture. Explicitly recognizing that time lag and genuinely committing to change may be precisely what turns a skeptic into a supporter. More than that, sharing the process behind a rebrand is more than an empty PR commitment – it shows that a brand isn't just talking about the work, it's actively thinking about its meaning and following through.
By sharing the process behind the rebrand, VS can show its impact but also shed light on its intentions every step of the way, laying bare precisely what it is they want to achieve.
Victoria Secret can't (and shouldn't) appeal to everyone
The announcement of the VS Collective inspired ire from conservatives and liberals alike; it seems the brand is simultaneously doing too much and not enough ... and changing both too quickly and too slowly. That's how it goes for a lot of rebrands in general, and especially for a culture-defining brand like Victoria's Secret.
The fact is, VS's rebrand will lose the company some customers; in this case, that's not a bad thing, it's necessary. With a brand pivot like VS's, to try to appeal to everyone would be counterproductive to its commitment to change. And because the brand is going to inevitably lose people along the way, there's no reason for the brand to not go further in its pivot and actively stand for deeper issues beyond loosely advocating for women's empowerment. Otherwise, the rebrand feels more #girlboss than revolutionary.
Rebrands can shape the future cultural landscape
While the VS Collective is diverse in terms of race, age and body shape, that diversity is the bare minimum in the current landscape. In an era where the meaning of brand safety has radically shifted and brands are taking more of a stand on a multitude of issues, VS is doing the least and calling it the most.
In selecting members of the collective, the brand could have pushed itself further, partnering with individuals that don't just fit within the brand's currently limited size offerings but individuals who could truly provide the guidance and creative vision to bring new product ranges to life. In doing so, it wouldn't just be reacting to the cultural shifts, the brand would be creating them.
Victoria's Secret isn't the first mall brand to undergo a rebrand (remember Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostale). Still, time will tell if the new Victoria makes it or is marked as an attempt that came too little, too late. I'm leaning toward giving them the benefit of the doubt, especially since there are some elements of the rebrand that do feel like a massive change, like the new nearly all-female board of directors.
We know that rebrands are more than just a name change or a visual redesign. They represent moments of deep reflection, a refocusing of values and a re-imagination of ideas. At this current cultural flashpoint, a rebrand is the recognition that to remain unchanged doesn't make you a heritage brand – it leaves you behind.
Image: Victoria's Secret press room