American Eagle on Tuesday introduced a partnership with celeb homemaker Martha Stewart for the newest chapter of its vacation marketing campaign, “Give Nice Denims.” The tie-up is a part of the retailer’s efforts to place denim as a common present whereas increasing past its typical Gen Z focus.
“Martha Stewart Does the Holidays in American Eagle” sees the attire model embrace a multigenerational viewers of each present givers and recipients. That objective is achieved by way of the presence of Stewart, who is well acknowledged by older and youthful generations alike, defined CMO Craig Brommers.
“Gen Z’s watching her on TikTok, mother is watching her on Instagram, grandma is watching her on ‘The At the moment Present,’” mentioned Brommers. “There’s not a spot that individuals aren’t experiencing and loving Martha.”
The marketing campaign was knowledgeable by an E-Ballot research which discovered that Stewart’s identify and picture consciousness amongst Gen Z grew by 33% between 2020 to 2024 and is now on par with millennials. Stewart has develop into one thing of a advertising and marketing mainstay in recent times, working with manufacturers starting from Pure Leaf to Miracle-Gro and Tito’s vodka.
On the middle of American Eagle’s marketing campaign is a 30-second spot, “Martha Wraps the Presents in AE,” that encompasses a denim-themed set, backdrop and wardrobe, full with presents wrapped within the materials by Stewart. Extra content material will showcase the star’s internet hosting skills whereas persevering with to give attention to American Eagle’s core denim product. The artistic is meant to offer an uplifting second to shoppers, lots of whom are contending with financial pressures.
“American Eagle shoppers’ sentiment is that they need some pleasure to diffuse stress,” Brommers mentioned.
One thing for everybody
The newest chapter of the retailer’s vacation marketing campaign spans digital and social media, together with Stewart and American Eagle’s owned channels. Creator partnerships will help the marketing campaign throughout platforms together with Instagram and TikTok. The marketing campaign may even air on related TV, a channel the model hopes will assist it attain a extra various viewers. CTV has additionally develop into a higher focus for connecting with Gen Z.
“CTV has been a part of our media combine over the course of the 12 months, and we’ll proceed to have a look at the way it performs for Gen Z,” Brommers mentioned. “I believe there are moments of togetherness that Gen Z is craving proper now. They don’t all the time wish to watch every little thing on their cellphone.”
American Eagle’s “Give Nice Denims” marketing campaign kicked off in late September with “AE Vacation Home,” a content material collection that appeared on social media, in-store and digital channels and introduced collectively a multigenerational solid, all of whom are seen carrying vacation outfits from the model. The following chapter of the marketing campaign with Stewart continues the push to resonate with a extra various viewers, a technique Brommers mentioned the model sometimes reserves for the This autumn buying interval.
“We’re Gen Z’s No. 1 retailer who sells denims — we’re very pleased with that,” Brommers mentioned. “It’s at this very second within the vacation season once we broaden the shopper base, and our denims are for everybody in all places.”
A multigenerational focus has been adopted by different entrepreneurs this vacation season, together with Hole and Sam’s Membership. The a number of chapters of “Give Nice Denims” align with an always-on content material technique that has develop into more and more widespread amongst entrepreneurs. American Eagle’s objective is to remain front-of-mind for shoppers at some stage in the vacations, in line with Brommers.
“I really feel like once you’re a retail CMO now, you’re mainly programming a streaming collection,” Brommers mentioned. “You’ve gotten most important characters, and when folks tune in, they know the overall plot line. Nevertheless it’s vital to usher in visitor stars, it’s vital to have a plot twist, it’s vital to create a way of urgency.”
“Boring is the enemy of nice advertising and marketing … I believe that doing issues that shock folks and lower by way of the noise are the campaigns which might be connecting with folks.”
Craig Brommers
CMO, American Eagle
“Give Nice Denims” follows American Eagle’s tie-up with Sydney Sweeney earlier this 12 months for “Sydney Sweeney Has Nice Denims.” The autumn marketing campaign made headlines for spurring a wave of backlash, with some critics arguing that the advertisements promoted the long-disproven idea of eugenics. The model across the identical time teamed with NFL star Travis Kelce’s Tru Kolors model. Collectively, the celebrity-led advertising and marketing campaigns generated “unprecedented” new buyer acquisition for the model, with buyer counts up 700,000 over the summer season interval, Brommers mentioned throughout a Q2 earnings name, a sign of how staying the course regardless of blowback can repay.
“The American Eagle Sydney Sweeney marketing campaign was supposed to be a model and enterprise reset, and it has,” mentioned Brommers on the earnings name. “To be clear, that client acquisition is coming from each single county within the U.S. This momentum is nationwide, and it’s pervasive.”
Whereas Stewart possesses an identical stage of star energy — and the overarching “Give Nice Denims” marketing campaign might be interpreted by some as an extension of the model’s fall effort — American Eagle’s newest push is meant to face by itself, Brommers mentioned.
“American Eagle all the time stands for excellent denims, we’ve got nice denims, and when you consider the previous campaigns, all of it ladders as much as this concept that we’ve got nice denims for everybody,” Brommers mentioned. “‘Give Nice Denims’ is a brand new and distinct chapter in that specific story.”
Past the model’s objective of reaching a wider viewers, American Eagle’s partnership with Stewart is meant to shock and delight its prospects, a core precept inside its advertising and marketing technique and one Brommers recommends to different manufacturers navigating this season.
“Boring is the enemy of nice advertising and marketing,” Brommers mentioned. “After we take into consideration latest campaigns, we’ve taken large bets at large moments … and I believe that doing issues that shock folks and lower by way of the noise are the campaigns which might be connecting with folks.”
