Local Shoppers Weigh In On Victoria's Secret Ad Controversy

By Syma Chowdhry

MARLTON, NJ (CBS) – The advertisement is catching shoppers' eyes – but not for the reason you might think.

It's no secret that Victoria's Secret uses thin models for its campaigns, but add the words "perfect body" and that will stir up the perfect debate.

Women – and men – took their opinions to social media, and soon, the hashtag #IAmPerfect started trending.

Now, there are online petitions for the company to take the ads down.

"There is a consumer sentiment and backlash against the line 'perfect body' because a lot of women are feeling this is not representative of their perfect body," says adverting expert Annie Heckenberger, of Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners.

She says this kind of criticism from consumers has a silver lining for the company.

"In this instance, it's very interesting that they have gotten a lot of people talking about a bra that might not otherwise get attention," she says, adding that there is a reason why lingerie companies don't' use "real" women as models.

"Lingerie, in general, is about fantasy and storytelling," she explains.

Shoppers we spoke with were outraged over the ad campaign and say there is no such thing as a "perfect" body.

"We are all different, and that's a good thing. We are all unique, and that's it," says Tina Troiano, of Wildwood.

"I think they should use an array of body types. I don't think they should just focus in on one size, a size 6, size 3 or size 0," agrees Nicole Goodson, of Medford.

"This may lead to an eating disorder. [Women and girls] may look at that and say, 'Oh no, I'm too fat,'" says Patricia Simone, of Waterford.

"Show the positive aspects! Not everybody is a small. Every woman should appreciate their body," adds Janet Weissman, of Voorhees.

That's perfect advice for having the "perfect" body.

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.