“I am unapologetically myself.”
Via Twitter
Last summer, GOOD reported on how the Aerie clothing line took a bold step that paid off. With its #AerieREAL campaign, it began hiring models with natural-looking figures and stopped using Photoshop on their photos. The result was an unexpected 10 percent rise in sales. The company is back at it again. This time they’ve hired “curve” model Barbie Ferreira to star in a few of its upcoming ads. Ferreira, a U.S. size 12, has confirmed that her photos will not be photoshopped in the campaign.
Although the new campaign has yet to go public, a new video teaser for it has already stirred up controversy. “What makes me #AerieREAL is that I am unapologetically myself, no matter what anyone’s opinion is,” Ferreira says in the video. “Not being retouched in the images is something that’s very important to me—people knowing that that’s what I look like without anyone’s perception of what my body needs to look like.”
For being outspoken about her natural-looking body, Ferreira has come under scrutiny on social media for projecting an “unhealthy” body image. So she hit back with these tweets that show she has no interest in apologizing for being herself.
Ferreira’s attitude is a major reason why she was chosen to be involved with the campaign. Aerie global brand president Jen Foyle recently told Refinery29 that “we cast Barbie because she’s got nothing to hide, she’s strong and beautiful—she embraces her real self, which is the spirit of the Aerie Real message.”
(H/T attn:)
Share on Facebook
