Love her or hate her, Kim Kardashian knows how to make a brand and keep it relevant. Take her shapewear line Skims for example, a cursory glance through the brand’s Instagram page (or hashtags like #skims and #skimsdress) would tell you exactly why it is so loved. Owe it to her and her team to pick out the IT person of the moment and to quickly make them the star of a new campaign. You’d think they have a secret trend oracle that tells all.
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Skims’ products have gone viral a number of times because of the quality of the shapewear, with some of the products inspiring countless dupes online. But what makes Skims stand out the most is its marketing campaigns. Not only do they tap on the hottest celebrities of the season, Skims goes the extra mile to make themed campaign photoshoots that align with the image of said celebrity.
And it pays off massively. The brand featured at number 13 on the Lyst Index of the hottest brands in the first quarter of 2024, ranking higher than legacy luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Diesel, Alaïa and Dolce and Gabbana. Many of their photoshoots have gathered more hype on social media than professional magazine editorials, to the point that their campaigns have been crowned pop culture’s new magazine covers.
Enough time as passed so it’s safe to say Kim kardashian campaigns for skims have official surpassed a lot of editorial covers she did https://t.co/z6szKDAYm7
— leandre koffi (@leandek15) November 11, 2023
Below, we look at some of the most successful campaigns of the brand.
Nicola Coughlan
Days after Part 2 of Bridgerton Season 3 dropped, Skims posted their campaign with lead actress Nicola Coughlan. Inspired by her character Penelope Featherington’s floral wardrobe, the campaign featured the actress posing amidst rose petals and flower beds.
Jhene Aiko
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As singer-songwriter Jhene Aiko kicked off her The Magic Hour tour, the shapewear brand featured her in a desert-themed campaign that brought out the complete boss lady that she is.
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter has a distinctly pastel and girly aesthetic, and her Skims spring collection photoshoot summed up that aesthetic as accurately as possible, with a tinge of nostalgia to go. Her shoot featured ribbons, 90s telephones, walkmans, and of course, pastels. Lots and lots of it.
Alexandra Cooper
Alexandra Cooper, host of Spotify’s Call Her Daddy podcast, featured in this Sharon Stone-esque campaign for Skims’ The Wedding Shop. The ’60s glam-themed shoot saw a flirty take on wedding dresses and honeymoons, and safe to say, Cooper understood the assignment.
Lana Del Rey
This die-hard Lana Del Rey fan lost her mind when this Valentine’s Day shoot went live. The concept is so Lana for a Valentines-themed shoot (the picture reminds me of Born to Die – the song – so much), and the superimposed tear in the campaign video. Chef’s kiss.
Cardi B
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This photo shoot was rather simple for a Skims campaign, yet the execution is perfect. Cardi B has been a fashion icon for some time now, and true to her status, the way she carries herself makes the shapewear seem like high fashion.
Kim Kardashian
Kim has appeared in many of the brand’s campaigns over the years, but this one stands out. This winter campaign was inspired by vintage magazine covers, and although it’s not their first themed campaign, it marks the start of the brand consciously putting its campaigns across as a product of a well thought out editorial.
Also read: Fast Fashion Brands Are Moving Towards Luxury. What Now?
