In a world where beautiful women are deemed “flawless”, scrawny Victoria’s Secret models are “goals”, and having your makeup, hair and outfit “on fleek” is the most Instagram worthy post a person can have, American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) is not afraid to swim upstream. In 2014, Aerie the lingerie and underwear line owned by AEO, launched a campaign featuring unretouched models. Not only are these unretouched models featured in the Intimates collection, but AEO has also stopped using the painfully redundant supermodel body type in the promotion of their everyday clothing.
Over the years the AerieReal Campaign has featured women of every body type and even women with stretch marks and tattoos. The campaign has also committed to sponsoring the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), and has recently raised ten thousand dollars in support of the organization. The company encourages women of all sizes to post their own unretouched photo to Instagram using the hashtag #AerieReal, and committed to donating $1 to NEDA for every photo posted.
In an online news release, AEO stated that “Aerie is bras, undies, swim and more for every girl…Aerie is committed to making bras for girls of all sizes feel good about themselves, inside and out. No supermodels. No retouching. The real you is sexy.” Not only has this been a great marketing move and expanded the target market for American Eagle Outfitters, but sales have skyrocketed since the campaign began in 2014. The aerie sales grew 20% in 2015, and rose another 32% in the first quarter of 2016. Sales have risen at rapid rates, and the customers have been reacting well to the campaign. The overall success of the campaign has given women the opportunity to love the body they’re in, and to support a brand that loves it too. Finally, a company grasps the concept that there is more success in marketing to diverse body types rather than to the flawless mirage traditionally encouraged by women’s clothing companies.
When an everyday woman walks into an Aerie store, she is greeted with photos of blissful beauties with relatable qualities. The customer can breathe a mental sigh of relief; finally, a break from the consistently brutal message that she is not good enough. During her trip to the local mall, she has inevitably encountered countless displays of skinny, tan, and long-legged models that can only be described as perfect. She has likely looked in the mirror and picked apart everything from the freckles on her face to the awkward, stubby appearance of her feet. But fortunately, when she walks into Aerie, she sees those same insecurities being revered as not only beautiful, but sexy.
Not only does the AerieReal Campaign create more customer satisfaction and loyalty, but the underlying message of the brand is a complete juxtaposition with its top competitor, Victoria’s Secret. The women shopping at Aerie find the authenticity of the models to be realistic and relatable. Rather than being forced to face the insecurities prompted by the annoyingly thin Victoria’s Secret Models, customers can actually identify with the curvier, raw beauty of the Aerie girls. Though the rivalry between the two companies will continue, the Victoria’s Secret marketing plan will need to be restructured in order to compete with the progressive methodology of the AerieReal Campaign. Through this campaign, women are reminded that their true beauty needs no photoshop, and the insecurities society deems unacceptable are the very ones that diversify women and make them drop dead gorgeous.