Wonderbra takes on new perspective with "Hello Me" campaign

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Nov 29, 2018

Wonderbra is the latest lingerie label attempting to inject female empowerment into its advertising with its new "Hello Me!" campaign, part of wider repositioning efforts at the brand. 

The new slogan is a play on the brand's "Hello Boys" billboard featuring model Eva Herzigova, which debuted in 1994 and went on to be voted the most iconic advertising image of all time by the Outdoor Media Centre. The "Hello Me" campaign features a model in a similar pose to Herzigova, but this time wearing Wonderbra's Ultimate Strapless bra (the brand's best-selling product). 

According to representatives at Wonderbra, the campaign is meant to swivel the perspective of the brand's messaging from a focus on the theoretical male gaze to a female-centered perspective. 

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"We believe that the old cliché of women looking sexy to cater to someone else [...] has been replaced with women wanting to feel sexy on their own terms," said Heather Nogueira, business manager, marketing at the UK arm of Hanesbrands, Wonderbra's current parent company, in a release.

"This campaign is our way of empowering women to express their individuality with confidence in themselves [...] we learnt a lot from Hello Boys, but it is now time for Wonderbra to embrace the new dispensation of female self-empowerment."

Some might see this campaign as another iteration of what Guardian reporter Nosheen Iqbal has called the "femvertising" movement, similar to Always' "#LikeAGirl" campaign or CoverGirl's "#GirlsCan" initiative. Those who agree with Iqbal hold the opinion that these campaigns hijack feminist messaging about female empowerment for the purpose of selling products, rather than for creating systemic change. 

In any case, the question of women's representation in the lingerie industry has been gaining significant ground of late, with an increasing number of brands moving to alter their sizing and marketing strategies in an effort to be more inclusive and empowering.

Indeed, the shifting attitudes in the sector were recently thrown into sharp relief by the spat between ThirdLove and Victoria's Secret in the wake of the former's annual fashion show.  

Wonderbra's new ad will be featured in a nationwide outdoor campaign in the UK, launching in partnership with boutique media company Ocean Outdoor, and appearing in five key cities, namely London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Birmingham.