ashion O novo autêntico:

Marketing o crescimento do realismo no marketing de moda (em inglês)

Laura Saunter 03.08.16

FASHION MAY HAVE TURNED UP LATE TO THE AUTHENTIC ADVERTISING PARTY BUT MASS-MARKET BRANDS HAVE
STARTED TO EMBRACE REALISM WITH A NEW WAVE OF CONTENT AND BRAND AMBASSADORS.

Authentic engagement and branding are the

pillars of successful and resonant marketing
for 2016

Attainability and relatability are key to

resonating with today’s consumer

Authentic marketing crosses all areas – from

in-store messaging to the (role) models now
used in advertising
Aerie by American Eagle

Creating more realistic, attainable marketing content is a trend we have been tracking since 2013. It is highlighted in the Top 10 Key Consumer Behaviour Trends of 2015.
The trend has been gaining momentum over the past year, and is finally impacting at mass market, emerging in bigger-budget campaign advertising. Social media has been the
driver of this type of content, with brand fans' own posts and the influence of newer social platforms, such as Snapchat, creating an environment that needs more real, and less
perfect, content.

Brands are responding to this new desire for authentic content in everything from the messaging used in-store and online through to the models and influencers fronting
campaigns.

Plus-size and sports brands have led the authentic movement. Blogger Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista recently summed up to Digiday why authenticity works so well in
the plus-size sector: “Social media has not only given plus-size women a voice, it has sparked the growth of a community. The advancement of plus-size fashion has directly
correlated to this community's conversation.”

Victoria's Secret Lane Bryant

Despite this newfound authenticity agenda, it is still a tough landscape for fashion marketers to tackle. The biggest challenge is striking a balance between keeping the
messaging real and still selling aspiration.

Brand marketers tackle this in a number of ways. One of the most effective is by starting a conversation with a brand's online community and using a common hashtag to
track the dialogue.

This is a trend that is only going to grow, with more fashion brands making the shift to a more real content approach in 2016. Below, we take a look at some mass-market players
that already changed their tone of voice.
O novo autêntico: o crescimento do realismo no marketing de moda (em inglês)
Laura Saunter 03.08.16

Lane Bryant Lane Bryant

Recent campaign example: Lane Bryant has successfully built a brand narrative on being authentic to women by celebrating the beauty in real bodies. Its current campaign is
based on the social-media trend of renouncing unattainable beauty standards set by advertisers. 2015's #ImNoAngel campaign, which has so far gained 13 billion media
impressions, came about as a result of Lane Bryant's customers voicing their opposition to a Victoria’s Secret campaign that promoted its Perfect Body range only on slim
models.

What was the campaign’s call to action: the #ImNoAngel hashtag – used in over 100,000 Instagram posts, and subsequent #PlusIsEqual tags – challenges customers to post
mirror selfies with positive self-image messages scrawled in lipstick on the mirror, such as 'Thick Thighs Save Lives'. The brand is also now selling fill-in-the-blank T-shirts with
the slogan: 'This body was made to ______'. The shirts are promoted on social under the #ThisBody tag, and worn by brand ambassadors including plus-size models Ashley
Graham and Precious Lee.

What is the tone of voice: Lane Bryant’s CMO, Brian Beitler, says the brand aims to reflect and amplify the thoughts and feelings of its customer. It does this by monitoring how
she engages with its social channels, and incorporates the same sentiments into its own brand messaging across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The Lane Bryant customer
comes across on social as outgoing and vocal, and one unwilling to compromise when it comes to style and identity.

Nike

Recent campaign example: Nike's Better for It initiative launched last April with a scripted video web series, which focuses on the inner thoughts and uncertainty that go
through women’s heads when exercising. The candid dialogue used throughout received critical acclaim from both the industry and consumers. Nike recently extended that
campaign's candour into wholly new territory via a weekly YouTube series called Margot vs Lily. The first episode of the series, which follows the lives of two sisters, debuted a
month ago and already has almost 16 million views.

What was the campaign’s call to action: Nike aims to encourage women to exercise for the sake of being #BetterForIt, rather than for cosmetic reasons or societal pressures.

What is the tone of voice: Nike Women’s VP of global brand marketing tells AdAge the brand isn’t shy about recognising the vulnerability and uncertainty of the characters in
the story. She adds: “As a brand, that's something we're really proud to showcase, to invite our consumer into that experience, to be relatable.” The natural dialogue used in the
series extends to the copy used on the brand’s social channels.
O novo autêntico: o crescimento do realismo no marketing de moda (em inglês)
Laura Saunter 03.08.16

Aerie Aerie Aerie

Recent campaign example: the authenticity agenda is more straightforward at Aerie's #AerieReal campaign, which began in Spring 2014. The brand removed all
Photoshopping from its images that season, using the slogan 'the real you is sexy'. Since then, it has employed unretouched campaigns as standard, with each new advert
becoming more ambitious than the last, all the while promoting a dialogue around loving oneself.

This season, Aerie recruits a cast of brand ambassadors of all shapes and sizes, including plus-size models Barbie Ferreira and Iskra Lawrence, and uses a series of intimate
and personal video interviews with the models, where they describe their struggles with the negative opinions and judgment they’ve received about their curvy bodies.

What was the campaign’s call to action: the brand uses its #AerieReal hashtag to encourage customers to love their real bodies, which it then shares on its own social
channels and uses as a sales driver on its website through social commerce technology Olapic.

What is the tone of voice: Aerie focuses its attention on creating an overarching voice of support, encouragement and reassurance, with all of its efforts centred on ensuring
realness.

& Other Stories & Other Stories & Other Stories

Recent campaign example: & Other Stories is known for its progressive campaigns, last season featuring transgender models Hari Nef and Valentijn De Hingh. In its latest
lingerie campaign, it chooses to focus on authenticity by casting models off the street with no previous modelling experience. It then takes it a step further by refusing to
photoshop the three women, who are seen in the adverts with underarm hair, scars and the other small imperfections that make them seem 'real'. By presenting these
unretouched images, & Other Stories is connecting with its consumers in an undoubtedly honest way.

What was the campaign’s call to action: while the campaign doesn’t explicitly reach out to consumers in an obvious sense, it does aim to capture the minds and hearts of
women who have, until now, not been taught to celebrate the female body in all its unique iterations.

What is the tone of voice: & Other Stories's messaging across its site and social is one of acceptance, simplicity and transparency. The current campaign continues in the
same vein, showcasing its inclusive, easy-going attitude across channels.
O novo autêntico: o crescimento do realismo no marketing de moda (em inglês)
Laura Saunter 03.08.16

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