The Sweeney Fit Check: American Eagle’s Bold Move vs. GAP’s Denim Groove

Hiii, Quick Life Updates:

Ganpati Bappa’s visarjan is always a bittersweet reminder that there is celebration in goodbye, faith in flow. Just like Bappa returns next year, maybe it’s a sign for us too: let go of worries, trust the process, and make space for fresh beginnings.

While working on Blanq Creators Club, our newest intellectual property (check it out here!) I was drowning in the back-and-forth of outfit measurements, GRWM videos, and endless reference decks. Somewhere between debating fabric swatches and reel transitions, my feed served me a different kind of drama, people going absolutely crazy over the ad beef between two denim giants: American Eagle and Gap. A downright denim duel where jeans became cultural battlegrounds.

Yep, I’m talking about the denim wars of 2025, starring Sydney Sweeney versus KATSEYE, and American Eagle going head-to-head with Gap. Let’s unravel this.

But first watch the ad film!! (for some reason it's addictive to watch.)

https://youtu.be/IwzF26o0AuU?si=nrRpQa3kSJkFIVgT 

Denim Wore the Culture Crown:

American Eagle suspended their "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" campaign, Yes. That one. While intended cheekily, most took it to mean "great genes," prompting anger at tone-deaf marketing. The internet was divided: some referred to it as bold, others problematic. Either way, it got everyone talking.

Meanwhile, Gap went the other way. Their "Better in Denim" campaign featured the international pop collective KATSEYE, dancing to Milkshake in crisp, Y2K-style visuals. It was never about controversy. It was about fun, inclusivity, and pure watchability.

Creative Flip: Sensation vs Expression

American Eagle opted for celebrity firepower, relying on Sydney's fame and a provocative tagline. It paid off in attention but soon produced a controversy that dominated the jeans.

Gap, on the other hand, relied on cultural nostalgia and community. No controversy, no heavy lines, just eclectic faces, energetic vibes, and dance that made folks want to rewind.

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Execution That Resounded Across Feeds

AE's campaign captured immediate attention but also backlash that muted initial buzz. GAP's ad went viral online for good reasons, reaching 20 to 40 million views, huge earned media value, and becoming the brand's most-viewed commercial of all time. The web dubbed it the "Denim War of 2025." But whereas AE made buzz, GAP made love.

People learning the Katseye dance on internet and slaying those moves is just one of the example that people are enjoying the outcome of this beef.

 American Eagle learned that fame alone is no guarantee of safe space without obvious narrative, customers made up their own with disdain. GAP, by contrast, went all in on emotion, motion, and diversity. And what did it get? Real cultural connection. As one of the strategists said, "Campaigns have to connect emotionally… or the audience rewrites the story for you."

American Eagle: Big attention and stock price spike, but with controversy lingering.

GAP: Six consecutive quarters of same-store sales increases, an uplift in relevance, and stock value rising incrementally. Both battled for cultural space. But GAP accomplished this by igniting joy, not controversy.

Key takeaways for brands:

• Attention ≠ Affection: Provocation may generate talk, but it doesn't necessarily equal enduring love.

• Celebrity Isn't Strategy: Fame provides visibility, but without a compelling story, the audience fills in the gaps and often negatively.

• Joy Scales Better Than Outrage: Where controversy burns brightly, shared delight builds slow fire and fosters authentic virality.

• Authenticity Trumps Shock Value: Genuine, relatable more fuel profound, longer-lasting brand connection.

• Diversity = Currency: All-inclusive stories don't appear good to look at but rather, they forge actual connections with broader crowds.

• Virality Demands Replay Value: Humans watch and share again what makes them happy, not ashamed.

• Fame Is Not Strategy: Visibility from fame provides a platform, but without an easily understood story, the audience will guess the rest and sometimes with a negative fill-in.

• Story Control Counts: If you don't control the story, the internet will tell it for you.

I loved watching Sydney Sweeney in the movie Anyone But You, back then also between promotional campaigns she was surrounded by controversies and every now and then she seems to be between those. Now it seems her name with any campaign has a potential of controversy to it lol. Should start keeping a tab on her for gossips I guess.

All I know is healthy competition has a way of sparking innovation and pushing boundaries. In the same way, the right discussions or consultations can open up fresh perspectives and better solutions, you never know what new ideas might come alive so let’s discuss them together here.

Book recommendation of the week:

Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji. This book explores the nature of unconscious or "hidden" biases that influence our perceptions and judgments of others.

If you enjoyed this week’s marketing newsletter on this denim duel , you must check out our top 3 case studies here

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Stay strong!

Radhika.

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