No Photoshop for this lingerie ad campaign

THE REAL YOU. Aerie's new campaign encourages being real, saying it's the sexiest thing a girl can be. All photos from Aerie's Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines – Within an industry where the promotional materials are considered by communicate unattainable and unrealistic standards of beauty, a new ad campaign has struck a chord with consumers.

Recently, US lingerie brand Aerie, a sister brand of retail giant American Eagle Outfitters, released a new set of materials showing models whose photos have not been retouched. The models are gorgeous, but stray hairs, tattoos, freckles, and curves are not edited out.

TATTOOS. While some brands may frown upon tattoos on models and opt to Photoshop them out, Aerie leaves them untouched as part of their campaign.

Many netizens have praised the material, taking to Twitter and Facebook to voice their approval.

I don’t look like a Victoria secret model in my underwear, I’m glad Aerie understands. #AerieReal pic.twitter.com/Pyy4B33k64
— Kim Schuyler (@KimSchuyler) January 21, 2014

Its about time someone decided to make the REAL girls feel more comfortable in their own skin #AerieREAL #Aerie pic.twitter.com/AMq0jVWRKs
— Courtney Fisch (@CourtneyFisch) January 21, 2014

Way to go, Aerie. I’m super excited that #AerieREAL is happening. Such a milestone. No matter what shape or size, you’re beautiful.
— Alyssa Renée Wright (@alyssarwright17) January 21, 2014

However, there are still some who are dissatisfied with the campaign. Comments on Aerie’s Facebook page show that not everyone welcomes the brand’s move.

Screengrab from Aerie's official Facebook page

This is not the first time that a fashion brand has caused people to react about messages communicated to the public. While Aerie is being praised for featuring women more realistically, just last year, another clothing brand, Abercrombie & Fitch, was criticized for its CEO’s remarks in a 2006 interview with Salon.

In the interview, CEO Mike Jeffries said that he wanted his brand to cater to “cool, good-looking people” and that they “don’t market to anyone other than that.”

And with the brand failing to cater to plus-sized customers (at the time, they didn’t carry sizes XL and up), the CEO’s remarks caused many furious netizens to declare that they were boycotting the brand.

In November 2013, the brand announced plans to begin offering plus sizes in their branches.

In the age of social media where advertising standards are rapidly changing, interactive ads that encourage participation from consumers are starting to make a more lasting impression. And with most brands now having a social media arm, it’s much easier for people to voice their reactions when they see something they love – or hate.

What do you think of the campaign? Yay or nay? Let us know in the comments section below. – Rappler.com