Battle of the Jeans: When Marketing Meets Meme Warfare
Two denim campaigns walk into the algorithm. One walked out as a viral queen. The other... limped into controversy.
When American Eagle dropped its campaign with Sydney Sweeney, the internet noticed, but (perhaps) not for the reasons AE hoped. The tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” was meant to be cheeky wordplay, but to many, this was a right-wing wink that didn't go unnoticed. Neither did the campaign’s blithe lean into anti-woke marketing, which critics called a not-so-subtle dog whistle for eugenics.
If the message was “our jeans fit better because you were born better,” AE got the attention, but lost the plot.
In a world where every brand moment is a cultural statement, intent without impact can be costly.
Now enter Gap, stage left, in full Y2K comeback mode with a shake-up that brought more than boys to the yard. Their “Better in Denim” campaign launched with Katseye, the newly formed, gloriously diverse K-pop girl group. No voiceovers. No political overtones. Just dynamic choreography, community energy, and an unspoken, but deeply felt message: you belong here.
The copy? “Powerful on your own, even better together.”
It’s not just branding. It’s an ethos.
And it resonated. Over 20 million views in the first few days. TikTok was flooded with dance recreations. Audiences weren’t just watching, but participating because they saw themselves in it: through style, rhythm, energy, and yes, representation. Where AE offered a static identity, Gap celebrated fluidity, self-expression, and collective movement.
AE had to tell you why their jeans were superior. Gap let their denim speak for itself by tapping into the nostalgia of their old, minimalist, dancey-khaki ads, but for a TikTok generation with a millennial bop.
It’s the difference between marketing for reaction versus resonance.
AE’s campaign exploded, sure. But for all the wrong reasons. Meme-fodder and think pieces proliferated, while AE stock briefly jumped thanks to political talking heads on Fox News. But that boost came with a burn. Many of AE’s loyal Gen Z and millennial customers felt alienated, confused, or simply cringed. Some asked whether it was “an ad or a parody of one.”
Gap, on the other hand, didn’t pander. They tapped into collective joy, nostalgia, and TikTok-friendly choreography. And the diverse cast? Not just aesthetic. It was a clear (and yes, strategic) signal of global belonging.
One brand tried to own the culture war. The other joined the dance floor.
As nonprofits and mission-driven brands continue navigating their own narratives, there’s a bigger lesson here: what you choose to highlight and how you do it shapes who feels seen and who stays.
Because in the end, it’s never just about the jeans. It’s about the story they tell.
Inclusive storytelling is the heart of everything we do. We believe brands do better when they create spaces for more people to belong.
