American Eagle really said, “New season, new spokesperson, who dis?” After a summer of spiraling criticism over its Sydney Sweeney ad, the denim empire has pivoted to someone who knows a thing or two about reinvention: Martha Stewart. Yes, the 84-year-old multihyphenate who can roast a chicken, fold a fitted sheet and casually host Snoop Dogg is now wrapping gifts in denim for the brand’s Give Great Jeans holiday campaign.
In the promo shots, Stewart is dressed head-to-toe in matching denim while wrapping presents in more denim. In one video, she deadpans, “This holiday season, we’re settling for nothing less than a perfect fit,” while cutting strips of denim. Another scene puts her in a kitchen where even the appliances and towels are denim-covered.
She told People she didn’t have to think twice about saying yes. “I have spent decades helping people create beautiful holidays — from setting the perfect table to trimming the tree to finding that last-minute gift that saves the day. So when American Eagle approached me about being part of their holiday gifting campaign, I was immediately intrigued.”
She’s also genuinely into the jeans. “They are flattering, sleek and soft enough to make wrapping gifts or hosting a dinner in them effortless.”
Back in summer, American Eagle’s Sweeney campaign made noise for all the wrong reasons. The tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” meant to wink at her wardrobe but instead became a lesson in wordplay gone wrong. Critics latched onto the “genes” implication and accused the brand of echoing language tied to eugenics. Others slammed the lack of diversity. Even Donald Trump chimed in, labeling it the “hottest ad ever”.
Sweeney later told GQ, “I did a jean ad. I mean, the reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life.” She also said she didn’t follow the backlash closely because she was filming. “I kind of just put my phone away. I was filming every day… I didn’t really see a lot of it.”
So American Eagle is now turning the vibe from internet discourse to cozy gifting season.
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