Are Vera Bradley's new ads a sexist fail?
American luggage and handbag company Vera Bradley just released a new ad campaign using the hashtag #itsgoodtobeagirl. Inviting their followers to submit reasons why they’re glad to be female, these quotes are then being used on billboards and across social.
Great idea in concept, but some of the responses have left many… well, a little disappointed.
#Itsgoodtobeagirl @verabradley ???? pic.twitter.com/ZeYthAKqS2
— JoJo (@NYMets05) August 31, 2016
There are so many reasons why #itsgoodtobeagirl. What’s yours? Share it with us: https://t.co/ytLoBVVDji pic.twitter.com/cjbGu8hlnz
— Vera Bradley (@verabradley) August 25, 2016
A photo posted by @verabradley on Sep 16, 2016 at 3:09pm PDT
Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for the Twitterverse to come forward condemning the campaign as anti-feminist and degrading, considering the bulk of the quotes focus on trivial things like makeup, being a “lady” and indulging in sweets — not exactly the empowering girl images we’ve seen in similar campaigns by companies like Aerie, Dove and Always.
According to Buzzfeed, the company has seen a decline in sales over the last three years and this campaign was meant to be part of a reboot, targeting a younger, more millennial demographic.
Somehow we think they may have missed the mark.
.@verabradley’s Incredibly patriarchal new ad campaign #itsgoodtobeagirl is a joke,right? @feminizza check this out pic.twitter.com/9rpsH8izlu
— Sarah Azriella (@SarahAzriella) August 25, 2016
@karenb0716 I will NEVER give my money @verabradley because of this DEGRADING and INSULTING campaign. SAY
NO TO #itsgoodtobeagirl— Stephanie Carrigg (@scarrigg38) September 21, 2016
#itsgoodtobeagirl this hashtag and its contents suck
— Chris Fitzgerald (@ceefitz) September 20, 2016
What do you think of Vera Bradley’s new campaign? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.