Victoria’s Secret tries trademarking “First Love”

Lingerie and loungewear giant, Victoria’s Secret, owned by parent company L Brands, recently filed a trademark application for the phrase “First Love”. As the brand’s rivalry with competitor, ThirdLove, heats up, approval for this trademark would grant Victoria’s Secret the exclusive right to the phrase for use in its many lines.

The Chief Marketing Officer of L Brands reportedly told Vogue magazine:

“We’re nobody’s third love. We’re their first love. And Victoria’s Secret has been women’s first love from the beginning.”

ThirdLove’s CEO, Heidi Zak, responded by taking out a full-page ad in the New York Times to publish an open letter which read, in part:

“We are flattered for the mention, but let me be clear: We may not have been a woman’s first love, but we will be her last, ThirdLove is the antithesis of Victoria’s Secret.”

It will be interesting to see whether Victoria’s Secret wins this battle, or whether the newcomer, praised and embraced for its exclusivity, will come out on top.

Author: Yonca Umur, 2018/2019 Articling Student-at-law