American Eagle’s New Unphotoshopped ‘Aerie Real’ Lingerie Campaign

The typical lingerie ad usually features a model with flawless, almost unreal skin (sometimes with no real shadows or slightly plastic-like) thanks to extensive treatments in Photoshop… but not American Eagle’s new Aerie Real campaign, which features models of different shapes and sizes without any airbrushing. More details from Daily Mail:

American Eagle is bucking the trend for digitally altered fashion images by launching a campaign with models who are completely non-airbrushed. For the new Aerie Real lingerie campaign, ‘We left everything,’ style and fit expert Jenny Altman told GMA. ‘We left beauty marks, we left tattoos, what you see is really what you get with our campaign.’

The brand hopes that its authentic representation of girls will help young customers embrace their own beauty, instead of striving for the impossible ideal often promoted by the fashion industry. Ms Altman added that since the line is aimed at girls aged 15 to 21, the models wearing these intimates should reflect reality. ‘Our customers represent this great demographic and they don’t really get to see what girls their age really look like,’ she explained.

Online shoppers can also see how a bra will fit on the American Eagle, website, which features models of all shapes and body types sporting the intimates. A banner on the website reinforces the brand’s objective. ‘Time to get real,’ it reads. ‘Time to think real. No supermodels. No retouching. Because the real you is sexy.’

One of the models in the ads proudly flaunts a beauty mark on her stomach, while another reveals a tattoo on her torso that would likely be airbrushed by other labels. In a video for the campaign, one of the models says: ‘What’s really sexy to me, I think, is imperfections and embracing your imperfections.

‘Our customers represent this great demographic and they don’t really get to see what girls their age really look like. I want to empower other girls. No matter if you have a funny ear or a pimple or a funny freckle, who you are at a deeper level matters.’

Emma Bazilian, a staff writer at Adweek, told GMA that the new campaign sets American Eagle apart from other brands that retouch their photos to perfection. ‘The difference between the Aerie real campaign and, for instance, a Victoria’s Secret campaign, is that Victoria’s Secret … they completely airbrush out every single blemish or stretch mark,’ she said. ‘Hopefully, this is a new age in advertising for female empowerment.’

So far, reaction to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, with fans taking to Twitter to voice their enthusiasm. ‘The AerieREAL campaign is SO good!’ wrote one shopper. ‘This is why I love Aerie so much – they make me feel pretty just the way I am.’ Another tweeted: ‘Forget stereotypes and societal standards of unrealistic beauty. AerieReal knows what’s up.’