I recently shared a post on Linked In that, unless you aren’t on any form of social media, you would have read about. When I say ASOS, most people will assume I’m talking about the dress they failed to photoshop correctly, revealing how the item didn’t fit the model in the slightest (we don’t need to see the cringey picture again). ASOS, however, have redeemed themselves in my eyes by standing up and supporting a girl who was victimised on Tinder for how she looked in one of their dresses. You know the one I mean…
Thea Lauryn Chippendale is the typical 20 year old girl having a crack at Tinder, who hasn’t? But one guy felt the need to go out of his way to insult her. Thea is seen wearing a dress from ASOS that she wore to a wedding. She posted the screenshot of exchanges on Twitter, soon going viral achieving over 900,000 likes. Comments were flying in support of Thea and how amazing she looks, but as if that wasn’t rewarding enough, ASOS decided they would help Thea humiliate George a fraction more (more than fair!). After commenting on her Tweet, ASOS used Thea’s picture on the product listing of the dress and the praise for ASOS came flooding in. Yes, it’s a smart move from ASOS Social Media team in terms of marketing, but someone clearly understands what it feels like to be put in that situation, and knew they could make a difference to boost not only Thea’s confidence, but every girl that has ever been insulted for how she looks. People are no longer scared to post screenshots and share experiences such as this one, whether it’s to raise awareness or just to get revenge on the other person. But what I want to know, now that ASOS has set the bar rather high, what are other brands going to do to follow suit?
Brands are becoming a lot more inclusive of who they have to represent them and be the face of their brand. In 2017, ASOS stopped Photoshopping stretch marks on models modelling their swimwear, and it’s safe to say the response rate was off the charts. Something as personal as this is something every woman can relate to. This would have improved ASOS’ sales, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s fair to say it’s pretty priceless how many people they would have touched and whose self-esteem and body confidence will have improved. Brands such as H & M and BooHoo have also now followed in their footsteps. Summer 2018 saw ASOS collaborating with Chloe Ball-Hopkins to promote their waterproof, festival style jumpsuit. The comments were overwhelming, praising ASOS for how they shot and promoted the product, with comments such as “Seeing disabled people in the media through campaigns, as actors, singers is so important as it challenges the stigma around disabilities”. By ASOS doing this, they have definitely set the groundwork for other brands to start using more inclusive models and have evolved to using normal people instead of celebrities that everyone will recognise.
The latest brand to be praised is Primark. They recently used a model missing a front tooth and their customers were in awe with it, with one customer saying “Lovely pic of real women not Barbie dolls, yes Primark.” This isn’t the first time Primark slayed the marketing world. In January this year, they used a young boy with Vitiligo to promote their children’s clothing line, with one user saying “I showed this to my mum, who always struggled with my vitiligo, and she smiled”. Yes, it looks good on Primark being inclusive, but comments such as this go to show they can and do have an impact on real people and their confidence and appearance. Primark isn’t alone though as we now have models leading the way such as Winnie Harlow who has modelled for Victoria Secret, educating her audience.
I hope in the not too distant future, when we see pieces of marketing such as these examples, it won’t be something we will have to create a big hype over. Not because we don’t care, but because seeing people in all different shapes, colours, sizes will be normal and nothing out of the ordinary. ASOS have set a new bar by actively going out there and connecting with their customers and supporting them on a more personal level. This is something every brand is capable of doing, if ASOS can do it, so can you. We already know from recent studies and figures that Millennials and GenZ are more likely to shop and stay a loyal customer if you are on their level and offering them something they connect with.
Comments