Aerie “Unretouched” Photo Campaign

Aerie created a campaign that went viral by “challenging supermodel standards” for young women. The advertisements featured women of all shapes and sizes, and none of them were retouched with photoshop or airbrushing. The brand is trying to reach young women, as many young women struggle with body image issues. Girls, from a very young age, are constantly viewing ads with photoshopped supermodels, which ultimately makes them view themselves more negatively. I think this a great approach as it can connect with a lot of people and every girl can relate to it. This campaign makes sense for Aerie because it is a brand that sells bras, underwear, lingerie, and pajamas. Aerie integrates both owned and earned media with this campaign. Owned media because they are reaching current customers and keeping them interested. They own every photo, video, and post. This is also an example of earned media, however, because with every comment, like, share, and view, they are gaining potential new customers and getting people to talk about their brand.