A Letter to Victoria’s Secret From a Father- Update

Words can not express how honored I am to have my letter to Victoria’s Secret read, shared and viewed so many times over the last few days.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that so many people would read my letter and find something meaningful from it. Since I posted the letter on Friday, March 22 at 6pm it has been viewed nearly 2.7 million times. Yesterday, March 25, was the best day for the blog ever… 1.2 Million views in one day! THANK YOU!!!!!

I have received emails and support from people all over the world.

Many different news organizations and blogs have picked up my post and used it in their news story.

I have received emails and messages from teachers and professors stating that they want to use my letter as part of their curriculum – from everything from persuasive writing to business ethics.

Since I posted the letter, Victoria’s Secret released a statement on their Facebook page regarding “Bright Young Things.” It read:

“In response to questions we recently received, Victoria’s Secret PINK is a brand for college-aged women. Despite recent rumors, we have no plans to introduce a collection for younger women. “Bright Young Things” was a slogan used in conjunction with the college spring break tradition.”

This does not, however, address the issue of using women in advertisements that overly sexualize them. VS has not addressed the issue that they are setting an unattainable standard for sexuality and beauty– THAT is why I wrote my letter.

The fact remains that when PINK was started in 2004 it was aimed for 15-22 year olds, so whether or not VS is “targeting” a younger demographic, they are already targeting 15 year olds. This is something that can not stand any longer.

According to Business Insider, the CFO of Limited Brands (the company that owns Victoria Secret) stated “When somebody’s 15 or 16 years old, what do they want to be? 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.” Does this sound like a company that is NOT aiming toward a younger demographic?

I am so grateful for the response and I hope that the conversation will continue and that this important issue will be brought to light.

If you would like to contact me you can email me at evan [at] evandolive.com or by using my contact form by clicking here.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan