Dive Brief:
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TikTok star and curve model Remi Bader has signed on as a brand ambassador and size consultant to Victoria’s Secret Pink brand, according to an emailed press release sent Thursday.
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The year-long partnership began this week, with Bader pitching in to launch Pink’s “first size expansion into XXL swimwear,” per the release. She will also curate a collection of her favorite Pink items and participate in various brand events and activations.
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Bader will serve as a judge for the annual Pink With Purpose Project, where 10 young adults receive $25,000 each to fund a project that aligns with the brand’s “core values of People, Purpose, or Planet.” She will also serve as a mentor for the upcoming class of Campus Reps, the brand’s team of college student ambassadors.
Dive Insight:
Pink hasn’t had to deal with the baggage of its older, larger sibling brand because its audience has traditionally been the younger women and girls who were actually wearing its merchandise — rather than the men whose sexualized gaze helped define Victoria’s Secret for so long.
But Victoria’s Secret (which has switched gears, turning to enlist powerful women as ambassadors and comfort as a merchandising guide) isn’t the only one progressing. Pink has also made an effort to be more inclusive, including striking assumptions about gender from its communications with its customers and advocating for mental health.
“What intrigued me so much about this partnership — besides the fact that I grew up wearing PINK — is the brand’s openness for my honesty and desire to see change,” Bader said in a statement. “PINK has made a lot of strides over the years to be more inclusive and focus on mental health, and I’m really honored to work with the team to help young adults embrace their bodies and be an honest voice for the amazing community I’ve built.”
Pink CEO Amy Hauk said in a statement that the brand was drawn to Bader’s activism via her platform and her openness “about her own mental health journey.”
“We love how Remi uses her platform to push the boundaries and make real change,” she said. “We’re always striving to improve as a brand and ensure our customers feel empowered and confident in our products.”
