Image Source: American Eagle
American Eagle is refreshing its holiday marketing with an unexpected lead: Martha Stewart, who fronts a denim-focused campaign designed to give the season a playful twist. Set in a kitchen and dining room washed in deep denim tones, Stewart appears in oversized shirts, straight-leg jeans and cropped jackets, styled with bold diamond jewelry to elevate the brand’s signature fabric for festive settings.
The creative leans into visual humor, from denim-wrapped gifts to a tongue-in-cheek “denim pie”, to position jeans as a reliable, long-lasting holiday present rather than a fleeting trend. The choice of Stewart also reflects her renewed pop-culture momentum, particularly among younger audiences who have embraced her as an unlikely style icon. By pairing her cross-generational appeal with its core product, American Eagle aims to re-energize existing customers while broadening its reach, reaffirming denim as the centerpiece of its holiday narrative.
“Gen Z’s watching her on TikTok, mom is watching her on Instagram, grandma is watching her on ‘The Today Show,” said CMO Craig Brommers. “There’s not a place that people aren’t experiencing and loving Martha.”
The campaign draws on findings from an E-Poll study showing that Stewart’s name and image recognition among Gen Z increased by 33% between 2020 and 2024, bringing her awareness levels in line with millennials. Her rising relevance has made her a frequent presence in brand partnerships in recent years, with collaborations spanning Pure Leaf, Miracle-Gro, Tito’s Vodka and others.
The newest phase of the retailer’s holiday push will run across digital and social channels, appearing on both Stewart’s and American Eagle’s owned platforms. The effort is further supported by creator partnerships on Instagram and TikTok. In addition, the campaign will run on connected TV, a channel the brand sees as key to reaching a broader audience and one that has become increasingly important for engaging Gen Z.
“CTV has been part of our media mix over the course of the year, and we’ll continue to look at how it performs for Gen Z,” Brommers said. “I think there are moments of togetherness that Gen Z is craving right now. They don’t always want to watch everything on their phone.”
