A Victoria’s Secret lingerie campaign targeted at 15-year-old girls has outraged parents who claim it “portrays teens as sexual objects”.
The new range Bright Young Things is part of the label’s Pink line, and is targeted at young teens under the age of 18.
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“When somebody’s 15 or 16 years old, what do they want to be?” Victoria’s Secret Chief Financial Officer Stuart Burgdoerfer told a conference recently.
“They want to be older, and they want to be cool like the girl in college, and that’s part of the magic of what we do at Pink.”
The Bright Young Things range includes clothing, accessories, bras and panties emblazoned with provocative slogans including “I dare you”, “Let’s make out” and “Wild”.
The sexualised items have infuriated parents, who have bombarded the Victoria’s Secret Facebook page with complaints and pledges to boycott the brand.
“As a mother of two daughters, I am appalled by your new line targeting young girls,” Karen Halil wrote. “You are adding to America’s irresponsible culture of sexualising young girls. I am boycotting VS until you change.”
“I’m not a mum, in fact I’m only 17 years old, but I’m disgusted by the Bright Young Things line,” Kayla Chandler Ross added. “It’s honestly disgusting that you love money more than you care about the wellbeing of young girls.”
Other outraged adults have launched an online petition demanding the brand’s CEO stop “portraying teens as sexual objects”.
“Your slogan refers to young women as ‘things,’ rather than many more appropriate alternatives,” the petition reads. “This slogan coupled with the provocative ads used to launch your new line indicates that you are using the sexual appeal and objectification of teens in order to sell products.
Related: Parents attack ‘trampy’ Target kids’ clothing
“Teen girls are already bombarded by images in the media, which focus on the importance of beauty and sexuality for women. Your recent advertisements reinforce the idea that young women are only valued for their beauty and bodies, rather than for their intelligence, creativity, or ideas.
“Further, by targeting such a young demographic, your company is sending the message that it is acceptable for teens to become sexual at an earlier age.”
Your say: Do you think the Victoria’s Secret Bright Young Things campaign is offensive?
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