American Eagle on Tuesday announced a partnership with celebrity homemaker Martha Stewart for the newest chapter of its holiday campaign, “Give Great Jeans.” The tie-up is an element of the retailer’s efforts to position denim as a universal gift while expanding beyond its typical Gen Z focus.
“Martha Stewart Does the Holidays in American Eagle” sees the apparel brand embrace a multigenerational audience of each gift givers and recipients. That goal is achieved through the presence of Stewart, who is definitely recognized by older and younger generations alike, explained CMO Craig Brommers.
“Gen Z’s watching her on TikTok, mom is watching her on Instagram, grandma is watching her on ‘The Today Show,’” said Brommers. “There’s not a spot that folks aren’t experiencing and loving Martha.”
The campaign was informed by an E-Poll study which found that Stewart’s name and image awareness amongst Gen Z grew by 33% between 2020 to 2024 and is now on par with millennials. Stewart has develop into something of a marketing mainstay lately, working with brands starting from Pure Leaf to Miracle-Gro and Tito’s vodka.
At the middle of American Eagle’s campaign is a 30-second spot, “Martha Wraps the Gifts in AE,” that includes a denim-themed set, backdrop and wardrobe, complete with presents wrapped in the fabric by Stewart. Additional content will showcase the star’s hosting abilities while continuing to give attention to American Eagle’s core denim product. The creative is meant to provide an uplifting moment to consumers, a lot of whom are contending with economic pressures.
“American Eagle consumers’ sentiment is that they need some joy to diffuse stress,” Brommers said.
Something for everybody
The latest chapter of the retailer’s holiday campaign spans digital and social media, including Stewart and American Eagle’s owned channels. Creator partnerships will support the campaign across platforms including Instagram and TikTok. The campaign will even air on connected TV, a channel the brand hopes will help it reach a more diverse audience. CTV has also develop into a greater focus for connecting with Gen Z.
“CTV has been a part of our media mix over the course of the yr, and we’ll proceed to have a look at the way it performs for Gen Z,” Brommers said. “I believe there are moments of togetherness that Gen Z is craving right away. They don’t at all times want to watch the whole lot on their phone.”
American Eagle’s “Give Great Jeans” campaign kicked off in late September with “AE Holiday House,” a content series that appeared on social media, in-store and digital channels and brought together a multigenerational solid, all of whom are seen wearing holiday outfits from the brand. The next chapter of the campaign with Stewart continues the push to resonate with a more diverse audience, a method Brommers said the brand typically reserves for the Q4 shopping period.
“We are Gen Z’s No. 1 retailer who sells jeans — we’re very happy with that,” Brommers said. “It is at this very moment in the vacation season once we broaden the shopper base, and our jeans are for everybody all over the place.”
A multigenerational focus has been adopted by other marketers this holiday season, including Gap and Sam’s Club. The multiple chapters of “Give Great Jeans” align with an always-on content strategy that has develop into increasingly common amongst marketers. American Eagle’s goal is to stay front-of-mind for consumers in the course of the vacations, according to Brommers.
“I feel like once you’re a retail CMO now, you’re principally programming a streaming series,” Brommers said. “You have fundamental characters, and when people tune in, they know the overall plot line. But it’s vital to herald guest stars, it’s vital to have a plot twist, it’s vital to create a way of urgency.”
“Boring is the enemy of great marketing … I believe that doing things that surprise people and cut through the noise are the campaigns which might be connecting with people.”
Craig Brommers
CMO, American Eagle
“Give Great Jeans” follows American Eagle’s tie-up with Sydney Sweeney earlier this yr for “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The fall campaign made headlines for spurring a wave of backlash, with some critics arguing that the ads promoted the long-disproven theory of eugenics. The brand around the identical time teamed with NFL star Travis Kelce’s Tru Kolors brand. Together, the celebrity-led marketing campaigns generated “unprecedented” latest customer acquisition for the brand, with customer counts up 700,000 over the summer period, Brommers said during a Q2 earnings call, a sign of how staying the course despite blowback will pay off.
“The American Eagle Sydney Sweeney campaign was intended to be a brand and business reset, and it has,” said Brommers on the earnings call. “To be clear, that consumer acquisition is coming from each county within the U.S. This momentum is national, and it’s pervasive.”
While Stewart possesses an identical level of star power — and the overarching “Give Great Jeans” campaign may very well be interpreted by some as an extension of the brand’s fall effort — American Eagle’s latest push is meant to stand on its own, Brommers said.
“American Eagle at all times stands for nice jeans, we have now great jeans, and when you concentrate on the past campaigns, all of it ladders up to this concept that we have now great jeans for everybody,” Brommers said. “‘Give Great Jeans’ is a brand new and distinct chapter in that specific story.”
Beyond the brand’s goal of reaching a wider audience, American Eagle’s partnership with Stewart is meant to surprise and delight its customers, a core principle inside its marketing strategy and one Brommers recommends to other brands navigating this season.
“Boring is the enemy of great marketing,” Brommers said. “When we take into consideration recent campaigns, we’ve taken big bets at big moments … and I believe that doing things that surprise people and cut through the noise are the campaigns which might be connecting with people.”
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