So shoppers, tell us what you want what you really, really want… Is it a new line of sexy lingerie, the hottest models in the industry, or a fashion revolution fit for any body type?
Aerie left their Photoshop days behind and hit us with the Aerie Real campaign in 2014. While we all felt warm and fuzzy inside for the positive step American Eagle’s lingerie brand has taken, I don’t think anybody anticipated just how much damage it would do.
Aerie’s sales have skyrocketed.
With a 20% increase in 2015 and a 26% increase in 2016, I can’t help but sit here and wonder…hmm, put real people in ads? WELL, DUH. Why hasn’t anyone thought of this earlier? I’m pretty sure nobody actually gains pleasure from standing in front of the mirror at Victoria Secret feeling anything but sexy as you stare at the massive bloat from last night’s drunk pizza…then you turn your head slightly to the left and have Candice’s perfectly primed face staring at you practically screaming, “ha! you’ll never look as good as me!”
Well of course I’ll never look as good as you – you will never look as good as you do here. Photoshopping in advertisements has been one of the most common factors leading to low self-esteem in women of every age, shape and size category. They create unattainable visuals that leave you feeling like you’re the problem. Well, ~*news flash*~ you’re not the problem.
With more than double the increase that Aerie saw in their sales for its second quarter in 2014, their transparency is clearly working. Welcome to the start of a movement where girls are encouraged to be themselves…hop on retailers – IT’S WORKING!
No airbrushed bruises, beauty marks, scars or stretch marks, and yet their sales are competitively up with mega-brands like Victoria Secret. Aerie has made headlines for including plus sized models in commercials and ads without making it a big deal. Models like Barbie Ferreira flaunt their curves with confidence just like every other girl in their campaigns. She proudly gushes about what this experience means to her by stating,
“What makes me Aerie Real is that I am unapologetically myself, no matter what anyone’s opinion is. Not being retouched in the images is something that’s very important to me – people knowing that that’s what I look like without anyone’s perception of what my body needs to look like.”
With a sigh of relief, it feels good to know that girls like me are model material, and that their beautiful realness is not only supported, but selling groundbreaking amounts.
Snaps for aerie, and snaps for the future of girls being sexy, confident, and most importantly… real!
Featured image via Aerie.
Lol this is shit
agreed, title is so misleading