American Eagle today (July 23) unveiled a partnership with actress Sydney Sweeney for its fall campaign entitled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The effort marks the denim purveyor’s costliest campaign up to now, arrives ahead of the critical back-to-school season — a period described by CMO Craig Brommers because the Super Bowl for jeans sales — and sees the brand maximizing its efforts despite ongoing economic uncertainty.
“To find a way to partner with [Sweeney] on that is saying something, and it’s saying something in what has been a trickier retail environment this 12 months, that American Eagle continues to be placing big bets,” said Brommers. “We are still the jeans authority, especially for Gen Z.”
“Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” spotlights the retailer’s core product through activations spanning social media, including a synthetic intelligence-powered Snapchat try-on experience, and distinguished out-of-home displays, including a takeover of the Sphere in Las Vegas and a 3D billboard in New York’s Times Square. The Sweeney partnership goals not only to assist American Eagle resonate with a broader audience throughout the cluttered back-to-school season, but in addition signals the retailer’s evolution toward a more versatile approach to its styles.
“Sydney has shown that there’s not a red carpet, there’s not a premiere, there’s not a cultural event that she doesn’t stand out at, and we wish our jeans to also play that role of being okay to decorate down in an informal situation but in addition dress up on a more social occasion,” Brommers said.
A more elevated approach might be showcased through highly stylized looks created alongside Molly Dickson, Sweeney’s own stylist. The star also worked with the brand to create a limited-run product, The Sydney Jean. Teasers for the campaign began rolling out last week via wild postings around New York City that read “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes,” with none American Eagle branding. The postings might be updated today with the assistance of stunt doubles, who will change the word “genes” to “jeans” and add nods to the brand.
High-profile OOH placements will follow, including a 3D billboard in Times Square that may feature Sweeney waving and pointing at onlookers while sporting an all-denim outfit. The brand also shot 360-degree content for an activation on the Sphere where Sweeney might be seen sporting similar fashions while appearing to maneuver on screen. Rounding out the OOH efforts might be additional billboards in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta and bus wraps around New York City.
Creative will expand to digital channels via shoppable “As Seen on Sydney” edits and content across social and retail platforms. American Eagle can be launching a lens on Snapchat to permit users to virtually try on a pair of jeans, and can utilize additional in-app ad placements for content that may feature Sweeney chatting about jeans.
Investing within the brand
The decision to partner with Sweeney was strategic because the brand goals to excite consumers during a period prone to be marked by cautious spending, Brommers explained. Back-to-school spending is forecast to succeed in $30.9 billion this 12 months, down barely from $31.3 billion in 2024, in line with Deloitte’s annual survey of the occasion. While economic uncertainty could drive some advertisers to scale back media spending, Brommers considers such investments essential for staying relevant against lower-priced competitors.
“Brand might be the primary and most significant tool that we’ve got to compete effectively against Shein or Amazon or Walmart or whoever it may be, and when you understand that brand is one among your most significant assets, you might have to proceed to nourish [it],” he said. American Eagle’s total net revenue decreased 5% 12 months over 12 months in the primary quarter to $1.1 billion.
Still, there’s hope for retailers like American Eagle this back-to-school season, with clothing expected to be the one segment of consumer spending to see year-over-year gains, per Deloitte. American Eagle is not any stranger to celebrity tie-ups, having previously teamed with stars like Coco Gauff and Jenna Ortega. The strategy ought to be used sparingly, in line with Brommers, who explains “there’s a right time and a right place to make use of the proper talent.”
In Sweeney, who is thought for roles in series like “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,” American Eagle saw a star able to each elevating its fashion image and helping strengthen its connection to a wider audience. While Sweeney belongs to Gen Z, her appeal spans multiple generations, Brommers explained. Though its a hefty investment, the tie-up is predicted to strengthen the brand’s efforts to keep up relevance with core consumers while broadening its reach.
“What we’ve also learned along the best way is as talent costs have escalated, sometimes it’s actually more necessary to put the large bets behind the largest stars, and while those investments are inclined to be higher, the payback tends to be higher as well,” Brommers said.
Sweeney has turn out to be something of a marketing fixture of late, having also appeared in campaigns recently for brands including Dr. Squatch and Baskin-Robbins. As a part of American Eagle’s campaign, the duo created The Sydney Jean, marked with a butterfly motif to symbolize domestic violence awareness. Sweeney is ready to portray former skilled boxer Christy Martin, who was nearly murdered in 2010 by her then-husband, within the upcoming biographical drama “Christy.” All proceeds from the sale of The Sydney Jean will profit Crisis Text Line.
Gen Z’s marketing playbook
When it involves media strategy, OOH elements are sometimes key to American Eagle’s efforts to succeed in Gen Z and are accordingly a serious piece of the puzzle this season. The younger cohort is receptive to such efforts, Brommers said, as long as the activation stretches beyond reach and frequency to embrace innovation. In an identical vein, the brand earlier this month teamed with Snapchat to feature over 800 of its locations on Snap Map through the Promoted Places promoting placement, allowing users to simply learn more in regards to the locations closest to them.
“Any likelihood that we will get into their geographic mind frame is very important,” Brommers said. “Gen Z is out within the physical world shopping, so anyone that thinks all they’re doing is shopping inside apps or shopping in mobile commerce, that’s absolutely not true.”
An intentional media strategy may very well be much more critical for brands this season with consumers likely needing additional motivation to maneuver from consideration to buy, Brommers forecasts.
“I feel the industry is seeing potential modest growth during this back-to-school season, and that’s why I feel we’re going to must compete harder than ever to earn the mind-share and earn the market share that we feel like we deserve,” Brommers said.
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