These photos of Victoria's Secret commercials over the years reveal why the store is struggling in the #MeToo era (LB)

• Victoria's Secret is closing 53 stores in North America this year.
• The brand has struggled in recent years — sales have slipped, and its provocative ads are being criticized by some as being tone deaf in the era of #MeToo.
• Here's how much its commercials have changed over the years.

Victoria's Secret is struggling, and critics say it's because it's alienating customers with its racy ads.

On Wednesday, its parent company L Brands reported fourth-quarter earnings and announced that it would be closing 53 of its Victoria's Secret stores this year, following 30 closings in 2018. Same-store sales were down 3% at Victoria's Secret during the quarter and in 2018 overall. 

The brand has struggled in recent years and has increasingly been accused of losing relevance among shoppers as its hypersexualized ads and racy runway shows have failed to resonate in the era of #MeToo.

Though some of its commercials have become more tame over time, the reality is that the brand has largely not adapted to the times, and its scantily clad, airbrushed models are still the main feature of its campaigns. 

We took a look back at the brand's commercials to see how much they've changed over the years:

SEE ALSO: These before-and-after photos show how much Victoria's Secret has changed

The brand was created by Ray Raymond in 1977. Raymond named the brand after the Victorian era in England, wanting to evoke the refinement of this period in his lingerie. The term "secrets" refers to what was hidden beneath.

Source: Slate

The brand was bought by its current parent company, L Brands, for $1 million in 1982 with its current CEO, Les Wexner, at the helm.

The overtly provocative nature of Raymond's Victoria's Secret was slightly altered when Wexner took the helm of the brand — but make no mistake, lingerie still abounded.

The brand held its first runway show in 1995. 

Source: L Brands

The idea of the Victoria's Secret "Angel" came into play in 1997 after a commercial featuring Helena Christensen, Karen Mulder, Daniela Peštová, Stephanie Seymour, and Tyra Banks ran to promote its "Angels" underwear collection. From then on, the term Angel become synonymous with the brand.

Source: The Cut