Aerie spotlights models with disabilities in new lingerie campaign

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jul 12, 2018

American Eagle's lingerie brand Aerie has released new imagery for its Aerie Real campaign, this time featuring models with a wide range of disabilities in an effort to connect with a diverse consumer base.

Among the campaign's participants are models with vitiligo and down syndrome, while others are shot with arm crutches and insulin pumps. Products modeled include the brand's signature bralettes as well as workout apparel.

The campaign has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response online, with fans and the models themselves sharing the ads which Aerie quietly released online this week.

Abby Sams, one of the campaign's models tweeted some of the recently released images with the caption, "A cancer survivor, down syndrome paralympian, me, and fibromyalgia (+ body hair). [Aerie's] work in chronic illness and disability representation this campaign was real and amazing."

Consumers are also chipping in via social media, with one of the brand's fans sharing photos on her twitter account with the caption, "Seeing this from the Aerie website means so much to me. This model not only is beautiful, but has the same type of disease as me. I love seeing diverse representation."

"This is the first time I've ever seen myself represented in a model!" tweeted another user.

Aerie first launched its Real campaign in 2014, and the initiative has been consistently met with consumer support. Last year the brand teamed up with the All Woman Project on a campaign using unretouched images to better connect with real women.

Aerie's newest Aerie Real imagery is online now.