ThirdLove takes out full page of New York Times for Victoria's Secret rebuttal

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Nov 21, 2018

In light of the widely condemned statements made by Victoria's Secret CMO Ed Razek, lingerie brand ThirdLove took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to respond with an open letter. "It’s time to stop telling women what makes them sexy," ThirdLove's co-CEO Heidi Zak said. 

Zak went on to call the comments Razek made in an interview with Vogue "shocking" and "derogatory," before delivering a searing review of the Victoria's Secret empire as a whole. 

"You market to men and sell a male fantasy to women," Zak wrote. "Haven’t we moved beyond outdated ideas of femininity and gender roles? [...] please stop insisting that inclusivity is a trend."

Increasingly since the company's founding in 2013, ThirdLove has positioned itself as the realistic, inclusive opponent to the surreal sparkling fantasy of Victoria's Secret –the company has even received financial backing from a former Victoria's Secret CEO, Lori Greeley. So while Razek's comments are causing mass backlash for the L Brands family, they are providing ThirdLove with an invaluable moment to show itself as the ethically bigger brand.

"ThirdLove is the antithesis of Victoria’s Secret," Zak said. "We believe the future is building a brand for every woman, regardless of her shape, size, age, ethnicity, gender identity, or sexual orientation."

Joined by Rihanna's Savage x Fenty and Torrid, ThirdLove continues to provide a by-women-for-women marketing strategy which is drawing a response, at the same time as Victoria's Secret is experiencing slumping sales. 

The Victoria's Secret CMO has since apologized for his comments, while the company's CEO recently resigned.