Another flop for inclusive advertising: lessons from Witchery and Victoria’s Secret’s brand re-launch blunders
Inclusive advertising aims to embrace diversity but can sometimes fall flat, as seen in recent brand re-launches by Witchery and Victoria’s Secret. Erin Morris, founder and director at Young Folks, offers insights into how these campaigns missed the mark and why real inclusivity is a continuous journey.
Last week was a wild ride for inclusivity in advertising, with campaigns from Witchery and Victoria’s Secret catching social media heat — for opposing reasons.
Witchery’s bold awakening campaign missed the mark by failing to include larger sizes, alienating a significant portion of its audience. On the flip side, Victoria’s Secret’s return to the runway with size-inclusive ‘Angels’ aimed to signal a new era of inclusivity, but it ended up facing criticism from fans nostalgic for the brand’s previous image.
These recent blunders highlight the pitfalls of tokenistic and performative inclusivity in advertising and marketing. So, what went wrong and how can brands get inclusivity right?
It’s not just the size exclusivity, it’s the styling… crop tops, bubble skirts, high necks and mini skirts alienate anyone with curves… it’s clearly saying only under 25 models welcome! I was a gold customer and witchery made up 80% of my wardrobe… I could even find one suitable outfit from this new collection