One of my clients is a huge fashion company. They are always on a campaign rampage. But they are quite smart and they know what makes money. It's quite simple, however. Their main audiencee is, umm, "unshapely" people, and older people, and while they do that sort of "ram it down your throat" stuff, it's relatable, because no matter what your sexuality or beliefs are, we're all older and unshapely. It's a winner that survives pandemics, bed bugs, and nuclear bombs.
Going down a feminist route? I'm not surprised it backfired on an established company with an established customer base in Victoria's Secret. Feminists might make up 1% of the entire country or so. Where they got their campaign idea from, I don't know, but surely that board will be voted out. Their customer base is, in fact, the antithesis of feminism, isn't it?
I get the feeling businesses, or those that run them, feel obliged to take stances. On something. On whatever. Even if they neither believe in it nor care about it, which most won't. Let's face it. Stances are purely a stab at tapping into a certain market and making money as an "ethical" company. Clearly, it has backfired in the case of Victoria's Secret because promoting feminism is a clearly stupid thing to do for a company such as them.
At the end of the day, does anbyody really care about anything beyond the product they sell? And does anbyody really believe statements and emojis on social media? Perhaps they do! Perhaps people can't see through bullshit.
All of this relates to society in general, and how we seem to live in such a superficial one these days. Politicians wearing NHS badges and telling us to clap. Taking the knee for black lives. Lighting up Wembley in French or Israeli colours. Whatever your stance is, it's just all an effort to be seen to say something rather than actually do something. It's all cheap. I'm not saying any of the causes are bad, but all I see are robotic communication on social media. Anybody can do that. The blokes going over to voluntarily fight in Ukraine and die are the ones to look up to. Agree with it or not, they actually do something with little fuss, and die for that belief. There are no companies and bullshitters there.
I think I digress!