It seems there won’t be any VS angels strutting down the runway this year. L Brands has announced that it is canceling the 2019 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The broadcast fashion show has been a television staple since it first aired in 2001 on ABC. Why all of a sudden is it coming to an end?
For starters, the show actually did not have a huge impact on sales. There was no close succession that made it clear that the fashion show had a significant effect on soaring sales. The analytics of viewings also further proves the ineffectiveness of the marketing tactic. Last year’s show fell from over 10 million viewers in 2010 to 3.3 million viewers, which is a slightly higher number than a recently released ABC show. Since this is an established broadcast, it should be receiving many more views than a new show. It seems to be a business forward decision to cancel the event.
This cancellation came months after bad publicity for the company. The CEO of L Brands was criticized for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Some critics also believe the show did a poor job of exemplifying body diversity. These factors have generated positive responses to the cancellation. The brand has tried to turn itself around through some noticeable changes, such as featuring plus-size models for a Bluebella collaboration and an openly-transgender model for its athletic line. It seems that Victoria’s Secret wants to position themselves better to compete in the evolving market.
Aside from changing socio-cultural values, the digital age is expanding as well. In 2018, the fashion show took place in November but was not aired until December, so by the time it finally aired on television, fans had already seen many of the looks and performances on social media. It seems that Victoria’s Secret is finally ready to evolve as a brand, which should help them turnaround from the backlash they have been receiving. Hopefully, they use this time to develop an even more effective marketing strategy.