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Archive (2001-2002)

Victoria's Secret stores change displays

By Carol-lyn Jardine

The poster of a semi-nude model at the Victoria''s Secret store in the Provo Towne Centre Mall has been removed, but not in response to a Springville, Utah, mother''s petition.

Spokesperson for Victoria''s Secret''s parent company, Intimate Brands, Inc., Anthony Hebron said the company respects differing opinions concerning the issue of women''s lingerie advertising, but these had nothing to do with the removal of the poster.

'We have store displays for specific time frames. That was for that time frame and we have moved on to new displays,' Hebron said.

The Universe confirmed a national change in store displays through phone conversations with Victoria''s Secret store managers in Oregon, California, North Carolina, Michigan and New York.

All five managers said the poster of the model in string bikini panties covering her breasts was part of the company''s semi annual sale event, and a new campaign replaced the sale this week.

Springville resident Tina Rivera said she began the protest against Victoria''s Secret''s store displays when she was disturbed by the way her 6-year-old son reacted to a poster displayed in the store window.

Rivera said she plans to continue the protest and build the petition as long as it is necessary. She said it is not just a matter of one poster, but of 'a desensitization of society to those images.'

'When we reach the numbers we feel will make a dent in the opinion of Victoria''s Secret, we will gather it all together ... anything that supports the facts ... we''ll send it off to them and hopefully they will take it into consideration,' Rivera said.

Cassie Campbell, a neighbor of Rivera''s, is helping maintain the Web site where people can add their name to the petition.

Campbell said on Wednesday, July 11, there were more than 1000 names on the petition. She said the site is receiving two to three hundred new names a day.

Campbell said the protest will now take a more general direction, not targeting Victoria''s Secret specifically but this type of advertising.

More information about this protest is available at www.familynook.com.