Episode Overview

Podcast: The Brett Cooper Show
Episode Title: How Victoria’s Secret Killed Its Angels (and Its Brand)
Air Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Brett Cooper

In this episode, Brett Cooper explores the decline of Victoria’s Secret’s iconic status by analyzing its shifts in branding, marketing, and cultural positioning. The episode investigates how the company’s attempts to align with contemporary political and social trends—particularly around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—ultimately alienated their original fanbase, undermined the brand’s aspirational fantasy, and resulted in commercial and cultural fallout.

Main Themes & Purpose

• Brand Identity vs. Cultural Trends: Analyzing how Victoria's Secret's efforts to adapt to social pressures led them to stray from their original brand identity and lose core customers.
• The Dangers of Pandering to Critics: Discussing the pitfalls of pivoting for a vocal minority rather than serving loyal customers.
• Representation and Authenticity in Fashion: Critiquing shallow inclusivity efforts and spotlighting what meaningful representation could look like, especially through the story of former Angel Bianca Balti.
• A Broader Reflection: Considering what these missteps reveal about modern culture and generational expectations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Return and Rebranding of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

• Background: After a hiatus since 2019 due to criticism for its portrayal of women, Victoria's Secret attempted a comeback (00:00).
• 2019 Shift: The brand retired its “Angels” and the televised fashion show, trying to appease activists opposed to their representation of women.
• 2021 Rollout of the “VS Collective”:
  • New brand direction: “Collective” of prominent athletes and activists, including Megan Rapinoe and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
  • Host’s critique: “Nothing screams hot lingerie. Nothing screams beautiful women. Aspirational. And you know what, guys? That was the point. It's genderless female empowerment. And I know that does not sound like it's something that is real. It's not real.” [Brett, 01:38]

2. Loss of Brand Identity and Audience

• Aspiration vs. Activism:
  • The original fantasy and allure of the Angels was abandoned for a more grounded, activist-based representation.
  • “The fashion show was about a fantasy, but that was just too aspirational. It needs to come back down to earth. To Megan Rapinoe.” [Brett, 03:12]
• Impact on Sales and Brand Magic:
  • Sales declined year over year after the brand pivoted.
  • “They lost their icon and fantasy status with women and their sales decreased year after year... who would want to spend their money there?” [Brett, 09:55]

3. Analysis from Experts & Critics

• Marketing Strategist Camille Moore’s Critique (after ad reads, 14:10):
  • Victoria’s Secret forgot what they actually sell: Lingerie is aspirational, not purely about empowerment.
  • Alienation of the real customers: “Optimized for critics who never bought Victoria's Secret, alienated the customers who did.” [Brett, 14:55]
  • Brand inauthenticity: Sudden shift felt like “desperate pandering, not genuine evolution.”

4. The Flawed Comeback: Attempting to Please Everyone

• Recent Fashion Show Attempt:
  • Magic was gone; show was still focused on inclusivity rather than fantasy (17:10).
  • Despite some progress (15 million viewers), they continued with box-checking for diversity.
  • “They were still frantically trying to check diversity boxes... But again, it wasn't enough. And for some, the models just weren't fat enough. It's never fat enough. It's never enough.” [Brett, 19:10]

5. The Missed Opportunity: Bianca Balti’s Story

• Who is Bianca Balti?
  • Former Angel (2005–2007) who overcame cancer, underwent a double mastectomy, and later campaigned for real representation.
• Her Open Letter to Victoria’s Secret (22:33):
  • Advocated walking the runway post-cancer to inspire others and raise awareness.
  • “I'm not the youngest, curviest or fittest, but I am strong, brave and alive. And I'm still damn sexy. I wear my scars proudly and I rock my newly grown hair with pride.” [Balti, 25:20]
  • Victoria’s Secret responded with a typical rejection: “Not this year.”

6. What Real Inclusivity Could Have Been

• Host’s Critique of Victoria’s Secret’s Choices (27:45):
  • Instead of transformative representation, the brand fielded “activists who hate half of the country,” “glorified obesity,” and “hired biological men to prance around in women’s lingerie.”
  • Missed chance to truly empower and represent customers facing real-life challenges.
  • “When your diversity only encompasses the categories that are dictated by the current thing and the sociopolitical landscape, that's not diversity. That is political pandering.” [Brett, 29:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Brand Identity:

  • “You do not need to be the leading advocate for women. You just need to sell panties.” [Brett, 08:59]

• On Audience Alienation:

  • “Cultural critics are not your customers. We should be screaming this from the rooftops. The people who were demanding the Victoria's Secret change, they never bought lingerie there. Meanwhile, the core customers felt abandoned.” [Brett, 15:54]

• On the Importance of Authentic Representation:

  • “This is what inclusivity should mean. This is what representation should mean.” [Brett on Balti’s letter, 26:37]

• On Shallow Inclusion:

  • “When your diversity only encompasses the categories that are dictated by the current thing and the sociopolitical landscape, that's not diversity. That is political pandering.” [Brett, 29:50]

Key Timestamps & Segments

• 00:00–05:00 – Introduction & History of the Fashion Show’s Cancellation
• 05:00–12:00 – The Rollout of the “VS Collective” & Critical Media Reactions
• 14:10–16:00 – Camille Moore’s Marketing Insights on Why Victoria’s Secret Failed
• 17:10–20:00 – Recap of the Attempted Comeback and Continued Shortcomings
• 22:33–27:00 – Bianca Balti’s Personal Story and Open Letter
• 27:45–31:00 – Reflection on Brand Pandering vs. Real Empowerment

Conclusion

Brett Cooper’s episode provides a compelling case study in brand mismanagement, using Victoria’s Secret as an example of what happens when companies abandon their roots to chase fleeting cultural relevance. Cooper argues that Victoria’s Secret’s efforts to appease cultural critics eroded their aspirational core and failed to deliver the genuine empowerment their customers craved. The missed opportunity to feature Bianca Balti underlines the company’s ongoing struggle to understand what real representation looks like. The episode ends with an open question: Can Victoria’s Secret regain its former magic, or is it time for a new brand to channel the lost fantasy and aspiration?