Lane Bryant Slams Victoria’s Secret In A Scathing New Ad

Victoria’s Secret was heavily criticized for their “Perfect Body” ad campaign, wherein they advertised a single female body type as “perfect.” More than 30,000 people signed a petition to protest the company for what they believed was “body shaming,” which eventually provoked the company to change the campaign entirely. They switched the “Perfect Body” slogan to “A Body For Every Body,” even though the models representing Victoria’s Secret lingerie still only showed one slender body type.

But the criticism of Victoria’s Secret has not stopped there. Fellow clothing retailer Lane Bryant has responded to the “Perfect Body” ad with a more inclusive and positive campaign of their own, which some people believe is a deliberate response to Victoria’s Secret alleged body shaming.

According to Time, Lane Bryant has launched their new #ImNoAngel campaign to advertise underwear marketed toward more average sized women, somewhere between size 14 and 28. Victoria’s Secret has established the models who represent their brand as angels, often fitting them for fake wings during shoots. To combat these unrealistic ideals, Lane Bryant is asking women across the world to use the #ImNoAngel hashtag to share their own definition of sexy.

Lane Bryant issued a statement about the new campaign, and while they didn’t explicitly mention Victoria’s Secret’s “Perfect Body” campaign, there was some obvious resentment toward ads that perpetuate the idea that only skinny is beautiful.

“Our ‘#ImNoAngel’ campaign is designed to empower ALL women to love every part of herself,” said Lane Bryant CEO and President Linda Heasley. “Lane Bryant firmly believes that she is sexy and we want to encourage her to confidently show it, in her own way.”

Several models involved in the #ImNoAngel campaign have already responded to the implicitly anti-Victoria’s Secret ad on social media.

“I redefine sexy by stating that Beauty Is Beyond Size!!” Ashley Graham posted on her Instagram with the hashtag #ImNoAngel.

Another #ImNoAngle model, Marquita Pring, Instagrammed the photo below with the caption, “Redefining sexy is all about your state of mind! if you think it, you feel it and BELIEVE It!! Confidence is everything. LADIES, Join me and @LaneBryant and take a lip stick mirror selfie! Tell us how YOU redefine sexy!”

According to Bloomberg, Lane Bryant never uses the term “plus-size” to categorize their models as part of their continued efforts to de-stigmatize the female body and spread positivity and self-love for women and their bodies.

Do you think Lane Bryant’s new campaign is an intentional dig at Victoria’s Secret?