Victoria’s Secret released a public response to a song about the brand’s history that is currently going viral on TikTok and elsewhere.
Victoria’s Secret CEO Amy Hauk shared a public letter addressing singer-songwriter Jax’s hit ”Victoria’s Secret.”
In it, Hauk revealed that the song’s message — a critique on how the brand impacted the singer’s impression of women’s bodies as a child while being managed by a “man who lives in Ohio” (former CEO Lex Wexner) — resonated with her.
“I want to thank Jax for addressing important issues in her lyrics,” Hauk wrote in a handwritten letter shared on the brand’s Instagram account. “We make no excuses for the past. And we’re committed to regaining your trust.”
The current CEO expressed her belief that “being vulnerable” and “admitting you were wrong” are essential steps to regaining trust.
“Our transformation is a journey and every day we are working hard to advocate for all women,” Hauk wrote. “As CEO of Victoria’s Secret and PINK, I can wholeheartedly say that we are all committed to building a community where everyone feels seen and respected. And if we mess up or can do better, we want to know.”
Read the full message below:
A representative for Victoria’s Secret shared a similar message in a statement to The Business Journals. It read:
“We know the old VS lost touch with many people, projected a damaging standard of beauty, and perpetuated a toxic culture. Today, we are proud to be a different company, with a new leadership team and mission to welcome, celebrate and champion all women.”
Meanwhile, Jax responded to Hauk’s letter on TikTok. The singer explained the song was initially written for a child she used to babysit.
“It was a personal song for me because when I was her age I compared my body to the one body type companies like Victoria’s Secret strategically advertised. And that’s when I started developing eating disorders and body dysmorphia. So my goal was to make sure her and her friends don’t go through the same thing that I went through,” Jax shared.
Jax made it clear she isn’t trying to “take down a brand.” The singer also said she was not comfortable “being the face of a company’s ‘We’ve changed’ ad.” Instead, she urged her followers to continue voicing their opinions about Victoria’s Secret and what they want to see from the brand in the comments section.
Watch her video below:
While “Victoria’s Secret” continues to take off on TikTok, the song is shaping up to be a hit off the app, too. So far it’s amassed more than 18 million streams on Spotify and has been climbing the Billboard Hot 100. This week, it reached a new peak at No. 64.
Jax even celebrated the mainstream success of the song by organizing a flash mob outside of a Victoria’s Secret.