of sexiness. Both performers demonstrate that sex sells, at any age. Just ask the folks who regularly bring sex to your mailbox-Victorias Secret.       The Worlds Worst-Kept Secret   If Madonna and Neil Diamond were to spawn a business, it might very well resemble lingerie superstar Victorias Secret. Combining the brand DNAs of Madonna (sexiness, shock value, controversy, and brand evolution) and Diamond (consistency, simplicity, holistic values, and perfecting what you do well) could result in a product brand similar to Victorias Secret and a corporate brand and values system mirroring Limited Brands, Inc. Victorias Secret peddles sexiness to consumers around the globe to the tune of about $2.5 billion a year. With 900 lingerie stores and nearly 500 beauty stores in America, Victorias Secret also reaches customers 24/7 with the 350 million catalogues it sends out annually and on its fast-growing web site. Famed for its tastefully risqué cata- log, Victorias Secret is one of the most powerful, sexy brands in the world, ranking as high as the ninth most recognized brand world- wide, even though it has no stores outside the United States. Just as Madonnas fans expect her to challenge conventional defini- tions of acceptability, sexuality, and creative freedom, so its fans have come to expect the same from Victorias Secret, looking for guidance on fashion and lifestyle trends. In addition to bras, panties, and ted- dies, Victorias Secret products include swimsuits, loungewear, hosiery, and footwear. Whether its underwear or underwater, Victorias Secret (barely) covers American women with a brand that probably leaves Madonna saying, "Why didnt I think of creating that company?" Yet among a sea of fans exists a pool of critics, who look at the skimpy panties and see-through teddies and snipe at what they per- ceive as attempts to exploit women. But Victorias Secret is not about setting the womens movement back 30 years; it is about empowering women, giving them the choice to feel sexy, look great, and express their sexuality, not just to please others, but to please themselves. It reminds women that their bodies are beautiful and they have the ma d onna a nd n e i l d i a mond : s ex i n br a nd i ng | 193     freedom to express their beauty, similar to the message Madonna has sent fans through her music, lyrics, and actions.     Limited Brands   Victorias Secret is just one piece of the corporate pie called Limited Brands, formerly known as The Limited, Inc. In a move to demon- strate its fervent belief in the importance of brands, the company changed its name and fortified its mission to develop each of the brands within its portfolio of companies, which includes Victorias Secret, The Limited,