The New Year is a time for reflection, possibilities, and…wrapping yourself in plastic wrap? Yep, according to women’s fashion retailer Loft, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” But not without a lot of flack–Loft’s recent collaboration with YouTubers Lyle Friedman and Ashley Skidmore (the women of #HotMessMoves) backfired, big time.
In a video posted on the brand’s Facebook page, actress Lyle is seen covering herself in plastic wrap and doing an at-home workout to lose weight for an upcoming wedding. After doing lunges, jumping jacks, and crunches, she steps on a scale to discover that her weight hasn’t budged, and then falls asleep on the floor.
A description accompanying the video on YouTube says, “Statistically, only half the people who make resolutions keep them. That’s why we invited Ashley Skidmore and Lyle Friedman, the hilarious duo behind the hit web series #HOTMESSMOVES, to show us reasons why maybe your best resolution for 2015 should be: stay exactly the same.”
But there are two problems: While the brand intended to suggest that women shouldn’t change themselves, we don’t see Lyle happy with herself at the end. And Loft didn’t include the above message when it posted the video on its Facebook page last week. Viewers were not pleased, to say the least.
Many expressed their disappointment, with one commenting on Facebook, “Someone should get fired over this move. I’m shocked this was approved. Sorry this doesn’t help women feel good about themselves, something your company should embrace. You have some work to do to repair this one. ” And another saying, “I don’t get it. Seriously, as a PhD candidate and an instructor of Women’s Studies I am still left speechless.”
The message of positivity and acceptance was lost. As J. Assita Camara wrote on The Gloss, “I thought they were going to give me: girl hates body, girl tries to change it, then girl falls in love with body while wearing this really cute outfit from LOFT.”
That probably would’ve helped sell clothes. Instead they’ve got people writing things like, “You lost not only my business, but my respect. Shame on you LOFT.”
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from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1wRxezm
