On January 17th, American Eagle’s lingerie company, Aerie, launched an incredible campaign called, #AerieREAL. Its Spring 2014 ad campaign will throw Photoshop out the window. The brand stated in their press release that with this campaign they wish to, “[challenge] supermodel standards by featuring unretouched models of all sizes in their latest collection of bras, undies and apparel.” The brand is tackling womens’ body issues head on. They are encouraging their shoppers, the majority of which is made up of high school girls and collegiates, to accept their bodies for what they are, flaws and all. Their declaration, “The Real You is Sexy,” is in support of women of all ages who are struggling to embrace their unique beauty.
Aerie’s campaign is a tangible realization that women are unfairly represented in the media. Supermodels make up an tiny percentage of the female population, yet they are chosen to represent brands who are selling to the majority of women who come in all shapes and sizes. And even supermodels can’t escape airbrushing; sometimes even their real bodies don’t end up on the pages of magazines.
Hopefully Aerie’s campaign will encourage other brands to follow suit in including diverse representations of women in their advertisements. But at the very least, Aerie has voiced their opinion in “conversation about the definition of true beauty.”
PR Newswire. (2014). Intimates Line Aerie Gets Real, Unveils “Aerie Real” Spring 2014 Campaign Featuring Unretouched Models, Challenging Supermodel Standards [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intimates-line-Aerie-gets-real-unveils-Aerie-real-spring-2014-campaign-featuring-unretouched-models-challenging-supermodel-standards-240777281.html
Photos: Aerie