For many years, companies have used copious amounts of photoshop to create a highly unrealistic standard for beauty. In early 2014, the lingerie company AERIE started an advertising campaign called #AERIEREAL to challenge these standards.
The #AERIEREAL campaign stops any type of retouching to be done on the models in the companies advertising. The absence of photo shop allows women looking at the ads to feel more comfortable in their bodies because they see others who are just like them. In addition to allowing women to feel comfortable in their bodies, #AERIEREAL relieves the feeling of pressure to be skinny.
Many companies such as Victoria’s Secret change the way their models look almost completely. The changes they make to the model's photographs include adjustments to clear the skin, add height, increase chest size, and decrease the waist area. There are also some companies who go as far as to put together different parts of women to create a someone who does not even exist. AERIE provides pictures of models for multiple different body types, so that women feel more comfortable knowing that there are others out there, including models, who quite similar to themselves.
This campaign begins to break many beauty ideals and standards that the media of America has created for its women. These advertisements embrace the imperfections of women that many companies try to conceal. AERIE has taken a large step in the direction of honest lingerie advertising.
You can click here to see an interview with Jenny Altman, Aerie’s style and fit expert.
I like this analysis a lot! It's so important that AERIE is doing this, because I feel like everyone is starting to realize the impossible beauty standards that other companies put out, but not a lot of people are actually doing anything about it.
ReplyDeleteI love this analysis! There have been tons of campaigns and adds that sort of support this same idea, however, I feel that Aerie does it the best. It tackles a whole new perspective on body image than just weight, such as what a human actually looks like and not as much a plastic shiny barbie doll edited smooth and to a T. Weather this was a marketing campaign or just a way to change up the industry, its working in a VERY positive way!
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis! I love what they are doing. Models should look like normal people, and not what someone thinks "perfect" is.
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