Victoria’s Secret Channels Mad Men Into Hottest Limited: Retail

Limited Brands Inc.’s Victoria’s Secret is thriving using a marketing strategy that seems more Mad Men-era than from the age of Twitter.

While other big brand retailers try to hone their social-media skills, the intimate-apparel chain is creating excitement with a network TV holiday fashion show featuring young women wearing Swarovski crystal-decorated lingerie strutting down a runway in six-inch heels. The show, in its second decade, serves as the cornerstone of an efficient marketing machine. Last year, the special received its highest rating since at least 2002, with 11.5 million viewers. Most viewers are women.