👖 Celebrity Marketing Pays Off for American Eagle

American Eagle’s share price increased 25% after its earnings report on Wednesday, in large part thanks to Sydney Sweeney.

The company’s CMO said that “Sydney Sweeney sells great jeans…The American Eagle Sydney Sweeney campaign was intended to be a brand and business reset, and it was.”

“It is our intent to convert this buzz into business, and to convert these customers into repeat customers.”

The company says all of the Sweeney-branded jeans products sold out and both search interest for American Eagle and website traffic grew significantly over the last quarter.

American Eagle has been a brand in dire need of a refresh. They couldn’t just rely on cost-cutting. They needed to do something bold.

Their Sydney Sweeney marketing campaign was polarizing, but that’s generally better than people feeling indifferent about your brand.

Talent and celebrities are powerful marketing weapons for your brand, if used effectively and grounded in a strong creative idea.

And other jeans brands are replicating this celebrity-first marketing strategy.

Levi’s with Beyonce. Lucky Brand with Addison Rae. The Gap with Katseye, which the CEO called a “cultural takeover.”

In a crowded category, these brands can’t really outcompete each other by just spending more money. Their real battleground is creativity.

Never underestimate how much your brand can be affected by working with the right talent and telling the right story.