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 most expensive campaign to date, arrives ahead of the critical back-to-school season — a period described by CMO Craig Brommers as the Super Bowl for jeans sales — and sees the brand maximizing its efforts despite ongoing economic uncertainty. 

“To be able to partner with [Sweeney] on this is saying something, and it’s saying something in what has been a trickier retail environment this year, that American Eagle is still 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 an artificial intelligence-powered Snapchat try-on experience, and prominent 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 aims not only to help American Eagle resonate with a broader audience during the cluttered back-to-school season, but also 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 want our jeans to also play that role of being ok to dress down in a casual situation but also dress up on a more social occasion," Brommers said. 

A more elevated approach will 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,” without any American Eagle branding. The postings will be updated today with the help 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 will feature Sweeney waving and pointing at onlookers while sporting an all-denim outfit. The brand also shot 360-degree content for an activation at the Sphere where Sweeney will be seen sporting similar fashions while appearing to move on screen. Rounding out the OOH efforts will 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 is also launching a lens on Snapchat to allow users to virtually try on a pair of jeans, and will utilize additional in-app ad placements for content that will feature Sweeney chatting about jeans. 

Investing in the brand

The decision to partner with Sweeney was strategic as the brand aims to excite consumers during a period likely to be marked by cautious spending, Brommers explained. Back-to-school spending is forecast to reach $30.9 billion this year, down slightly from $31.3 billion in 2024, according to Deloitte’s annual survey of the occasion. While economic uncertainty could drive some advertisers to reduce media spending, Brommers considers such investments essential for staying relevant against lower-priced competitors.

“Brand is probably the first and most important tool that we have to compete effectively against Shein or Amazon or Walmart or whoever it might be, and when you know that brand is one of your most important assets, you have to continue to nourish [it],” he said. American Eagle’s total net revenue decreased 5% year over year in the first 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 only segment of consumer spending to see year-over-year gains, per Deloitte. American Eagle is no stranger to celebrity tie-ups, having previously teamed with stars like Coco Gauff and Jenna Ortega. The strategy should be used sparingly, according to Brommers, who explains “there’s a right time and a right place to use the right talent.”

In Sweeney, who is known for roles in series like “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,” American Eagle saw a star capable of both 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 expected to reinforce the brand’s efforts to maintain relevance with core consumers while broadening its reach. 

“What we’ve also learned along the way is as talent costs have escalated, sometimes it’s actually more important to place the big bets behind the biggest stars, and while those investments tend to be higher, the payback tends to be higher as well,” Brommers said.

Sweeney has become something of a marketing fixture of late, having also appeared in campaigns recently for brands including Dr. Squatch and Baskin-Robbins. As part of American Eagle’s campaign, the duo created The Sydney Jean, marked with a butterfly motif to symbolize domestic violence awareness. Sweeney is set to portray former professional boxer Christy Martin, who was nearly murdered in 2010 by her then-husband, in the upcoming biographical drama “Christy.” All proceeds from the sale of The Sydney Jean will benefit Crisis Text Line.

Gen Z’s marketing playbook

When it comes to media strategy, OOH elements are often key to American Eagle’s efforts to reach Gen Z and are accordingly a major piece of the puzzle this season. The younger cohort is receptive to such efforts, Brommers said, so long as the activation stretches beyond reach and frequency to embrace innovation. In a similar vein, the brand earlier this month teamed with Snapchat to feature over 800 of its locations on Snap Map through the Promoted Places advertising placement, allowing users to easily learn more about the locations closest to them.

“Any chance that we can get into their geographic mind frame is important,” Brommers said. “Gen Z is out in the physical world shopping, so anyone that thinks all they’re doing is shopping inside of apps or shopping in mobile commerce, that’s absolutely not true.”

An intentional media strategy could be even more critical for brands this season with consumers likely needing additional motivation to move from consideration to purchase, Brommers forecasts. 

“I think the industry is seeing potential modest growth during this back-to-school season, and that’s why I think we’re going to have to compete harder than ever to earn the mind-share and earn the market share that we feel like we deserve,” Brommers said.