The Perfect Response
Three students from Leeds University in Great Britain recently had the perfect response to Victoria's Secret ‘Perfect Body’ Campaign when the company introduced a new bra collection called “Body by Victoria” with an ad campaign featuring ultra thin models with the words “The Perfect Body” running across the image.The students were outraged by the campaign, claiming the ads perpetuate low self-esteem and negative body image in women. They asserted, as does the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), that this contributes to a culture ridden with unhealthy eating habits and disorders. They created an online petition on Change.org and requested that Victoria’s Secret apologize and amend their irresponsible advertising. They racked up nearly 30,000 supporters. Images that celebrate the amazing diversity among women were posted online by supporters like Dear Kate and to the Twitter hashtag #iamperfect in response to the campaign.The three young women, Frances Black, Gabriella Kountourides, and Laura Ferris, talked about the influence that the hugely popular company has on young women and called upon them to take their responsibility seriously. In addition to raising awareness and gaining support, the students’ efforts paid off. Victoria’s Secret quietly replaced the ad with another. The wording was amended to say, “A Body For Every Body.” Although as many will note, even though the words have changed, the perfect body images remain the same. The students’ response may have been perfect, however Victoria’s Secret still falls a bit short.Sources:http://www.jrn.com/kmtv/now-trending/Victorias-Secret-quietly-changes-Perfect-Body-slogan-after-criticism-281993701.html?lc=Smarthttps://www.change.org/p/victoriassecret-apologise-for-your-damaging-perfect-body-campaign-iamperfecthttp://nypost.com/2014/10/31/victorias-secret-perfect-body-campaign-sparks-backlash/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11213078/Victorias-Secret-lingerie-advert-changed-from-perfect-body-after-internet-storm.html