Denim Wars: How American Eagle + Gap Battled for Dominance in Fall 2025

Denim might feel like an everyday staple, but in 2025 it became the centerstage of a full-blown brand battle. The campaign by American Eagle featuring Sydney Sweeney and the conveniently timed response from Gap via the girl-group KATSEYE (to the tune of “Milkshake”) have shaped what we are calling the Denim Wars. 

The American Eagle launched its campaign with bold assertion, and the CMO later described a strategic decision to hold back and observe rather than leap into damage control. This pause in the face of backlash is a key strategic moment worth understanding.

Meanwhile, the Milkshake song and dance from GAP’s ad are still trending on my FYP.

American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” Campaign

The campaign concept

In July 2025, American Eagle launched a fall denim campaign headlined by Sydney Sweeney. The tagline: “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” playing on the homophone between “jeans” and “genes.”

One ad shows Sweeney saying: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”

The brand framed it as playful. According to AP News, AE said the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The campaign also offered a limited-edition style, “The Sydney Jean,” with a portion of the purchase price going to a charitable cause.

The mixed reception

The campaign generated a lot of attention—some positive, some critical. On the one hand, Marketing Brew stated that AE’s CMO reported strong performance: “Every single marketing metric is up since the controversial campaign rolled out in July.” The campaign starring Sydney Sweeney reportedly generated 40 billion impressions within its first six weeks and AE claimed they reached about 790,000 new customer acquisitions and ~320,000 new social followers in the first six weeks.

On the other hand, many commentators flagged concerns about tone and messaging. Critics argued that the campaign’s pun around “genes” and “jeans”, paired with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed model, risked signaling eugenics or white-beauty-standards undertones.

Articles suggested AE “faces backlash for its Sydney Sweeney campaign, showing how exclusionary marketing can hurt foot traffic, trust, and brand perception.”

One Forbes piece argued the campaign “was an opportunity… but it’s backfiring and it needs to end.”

An Adweek article highlighting American Eagle’s CMO shared that the tactic generated immediate attention (including a sharp stock uptick) but also required a listening period. Meanwhile, Gap’s campaign leaned into inclusive celebration from the start—an interesting lesson in timing and posture. Holding back led to listening and not making any mistakes by being reactive.

Business data + impact

Despite the controversy, AE reported meaningful boosts: their most expensive campaign to date, the CMO said, was “worth every single dollar.”

Meanwhile, external reporting noted that after the campaign launched, AE saw roughly a 10% surge in sales.

Counterpoint: some foot traffic declines were reported in store, indicating that online buzz may not fully translate to other channels.

Balanced viewpoint

Let’s be clear: AE made a bold move. They leveraged a popular celebrity, played with word-play and buzz to drive awareness, and, according to their own internal statements, they achieved key metrics. The strategy was not inherently flawed: differentiating a denim campaign in a crowded market is hard, and AE achieved a standout.

However, the risk comes from brand-fit and cultural context. When puns lean into deeper societal associations (beauty standards, representation, race), the brand must be prepared to engage in the conversation. AE has stood by the campaign, but the potential discourse and impact continues.

Additionally, the American Eagle CMO stated that they deliberately chose to do nothing immediately—to watch how audiences would react—revealing that sometimes in marketing the boldest move is restraint.

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Gap’s “Better in Denim” Response

The campaign

Shortly after AE’s splash, Gap launched its Fall 2025 campaign, titled “Better in Denim,” starring global girl-group KATSEYE. The ad features the iconic Kelis song “Milkshake,” Y2K-inspired low-rise and “Long & Lean” fits, dance choreography, and a multicultural cast.

From the agency side: According to an article by Inc, Gap Brand representative Kyrsten Stoll stated that the campaign has garnered more than 576 million views and 8 billion impressions across platforms.

MarketingDive reported, “Gap is channeling the early aughts for ‘Better in Denim,’ its fall campaign that spotlights nostalgic styles like low-rise jeans and mini-skirts.”

Why it resonated

Analysts have pointed out several reasons why the Gap campaign “struck the right chord”:

• Nostalgia: low-rise jeans, Y2K visuals tap cultural memories. Over the last few years, brands have leaned into nostalgia with their products, marketing, and in their media. 

• Diversity + Authenticity: KATSEYE’s global reach, varied member backgrounds, and an inclusive cast appealed broadly.

• Clear Product-role: the denim is front and center, dance and music amplify rather than distract.

• User-Generated Involvement: This ad led to a breakout wave of TikTok and Reel creators performing their own dances to the video. User generated content keeps a brand relevant, and also brings the customer along for the journey.

• Pausing before Responding: Choosing when not to act can be as strategic as choosing what to say. As American Eagle’s CMO admitted, pausing and reading the room prevented reactive missteps—and should be added to the marketer’s toolkit.

One article noted: “The ad quickly became Gap’s most viral ever…”

Business and brand outcomes

The scale of reach is significant: millions of views, billions of impressions. The campaign marked a rejuvenation of the brand’s denim offering and cultural relevance. While we don’t have full public full-year financials tied solely to the campaign yet, the qualitative signs are positive.

For Gap the brand, Meltwater reports that during the launch of the ad:

• Brand mentions rose by 171%.

• Positive mentions surged by 286%

Like i said, I am STILL getting videos of the viral dance and song on my feed - the impact has been massive.

Balanced viewpoint

Gap didn’t need to spark controversy to win attention; instead, it leveraged heritage (denim + music), cultural momentum (Y2K revival) and broad representation. For brands seeking to reposition, Gap’s approach shows that you can generate large visibility without the brand being pulled into socio-political crosswinds.

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The Broader Denim Brand Landscape

While AE and Gap dominate the headlines, they’re not the only players. The broader trend: denim brands are seizing cultural moments through campaigns. For example, reports show that after AE’s campaign launched, others like Lucky Brand (with new low-rise fits) with popular TikTok influencer, Addison Rae, moved swiftly to re-energize their denim lines.

This suggests that in the “Denim Wars” era, brands are watching each other carefully: when one shifts the space, others reposition to capture the residual attention.

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Marketing Take-Aways 

1. Stand out by reason, not only shock
   AE’s campaign stood out, but partly because it triggered conversation around genetics and representation. If your brand is caught in the cross-fires, ask: is the trade-off worth it? Gap shows an alternative: create visibility by aligning with positive culture rather than inciting debate.

2. Brand heritage + product clarity matters
   Gap kept the message focused on denim (the “Long & Lean” fit, low-rise, the music). AE’s message broadened into “great genes / great jeans”—a clever pun, but one that drifted from core product communication. For marketers: ensure the creative supports your product story.

3. Cultural context is non-negotiable
   In an age of heightened sensitivity, word-play and visuals are always read through a cultural lens. AE’s pun became a lightning rod because of historical associations. Marketers need cultural counsel before campaigns launch.

4. Traffic ≠ trust
   AE achieved strong visibility metrics and reported internal gains, but some external commentary pointed to risks in brand perception and foot traffic. Mega-impressions are exciting—but sustained brand health requires trust, not just eyeballs.

5. In competitive spaces, momentum matters 

Gap didn’t launch in reaction to AE per se, but the timing shows agility. When one brand moves the cultural needle (AE arguably did), others can seize the moment and position themselves as the balanced or next-wave alternative.

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The Denim Wars show us that even a seemingly “safe” category like jeans can become a battleground for culture, identity and brand meaning. For American Eagle, the Sydney Sweeney campaign proved that boldness can drive attention and sales, but also invites scrutiny and narrative risk. For Gap, the “Better in Denim” campaign shows that authenticity, cultural resonance and product clarity can spark a strong response.

For marketers, the question isn’t just what will get attention, but what will build brand loyalty, relevance and trust? Because in the war of brands, the smart win isn’t the loudest moment…it’s the one that endures.

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@icm_triplets 🥤🥤🥤(dc:@Robbie Blue) @KATSEYE @Gap #milkshake #katseye #gap #triplets #dance ♬ original sound - Gap