Activism highlights from 2008

By: Chris Johnson

Personal note:

In 2008, in the early months, “The Limited” was checking out our webpage very frequently. Within a few days, Victoria’s Secret made the announcement that they were going to be toning down their ads.
We have seen evidences of some toning down. However, the jury is still out and the battle continues.

Activism highlights from 2008

Through continued pressure upon Victoria’s Secret via urging people to divest from their stock through “The Limited (Victoria’s Secret) and from putting pressure on mall managers and mall development corporations (General Growth Properties and CBL Properties) and promoting a boycott of Victoria’s Secret, ADA began to read news accounts of financial faltering at Victoria’s Secret. See various details below.

January 11, 2008, “The Limited” was monitoring our webpage frequently as VS personnel were on our web page hundreds of times in early January and beyond. We had Victoria’s Secret’s attention.

January 30, Bill Johnson sent an email to Mr. John Bucksbaum, CEO of General Growth Properties (Chicago, Illinois) expressing serious concern regarding the Victoria’s Secret Valentine displays featured at their property – Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grandville, Michigan. He also attached specific examples of concerning images.

Victoria’s Secret Amie Preston, VP-investor relations reporter said Victoria’s Secret was challenged by slow traffic during the holiday season.

February 11, we mailed all 83 stores in the Lakes Mall (a CBL Property) letting them know that despite our efforts to get the mall manager and VS to tone down their displays, that there had been no sense of cooperation or receptivity. ADA urged the store managers to bring pressure upon VS and the mall themselves since the local mall management paid no concern to their local shoppers. We made it known to the 83 various store managers that if there was no remedy we would call for a boycott of the entire mall during the upcoming Christmas shopping season.

February 15, a law firm for Lakes Mall attempted to chill our First Amendment rights of freedom of speech by saying in a letter that we were no longer to communicate our concerns with the mall management but only with Victoria’s Secret or the mall’s attorneys.

February 28, 2008 Sharen Turney, Chief Executive of the VS lingerie chain stated publicly that the brand had become “too sexy.” She stated that VS had gotten off “our heritage” and that changes were in the works.

Standard & Poors Ratings warned it may cut the credit rating of Limited Brand to junk status because of growing concerns regarding the company’s debt.[Wall Street Journal, February 28, 2008]

February 28. CNN called Bill Johnson seeking a response to the news regarding VS’s Sharon Turney saying VS was “too sexy.”

Lakes Mall, Muskegon. The Victoria’s Secret store displayed a series of erotic, black and white window displays. ADA had urged the mall manager and CBL Properties to replace those displays with images more suitable for a general shopping public. Lakes Mall ignored our requests.

April (approximately): The concerning erotic black and white displays were taken down (this after featuring these displays for more than a year). Victoria’s Secret nor the Lakes Mall ever
indicated that actions taken were as a result of expressions of concern. However, it is obvious that the continued pressure resulted in the positive change we sought.

Our February newsletter will feature a summary of ADA’s year-in-review. As we have stated many times, we aren’t called to be successful but to be faithful. Sometimes our faithfulness doesn’t lead to the success that we would like, yet we aren’t likely to attain the success we seek if we’re not faithful. With God’s help and yours, we begin another year.

Thank you friend in Christ for making our efforts possible!

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To donate online:
https://americandecency.org/folder.php?f=donate

American Decency Association
Bill Johnson, President
P.O. Box 202
Fremont, MI 49412
ph: 231-924-4050
https://americandecency.org

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