Yes, you can wear denim for your upcoming holiday gatherings — at least according to Martha Stewart.
In a move that no one saw coming…Stewart is the new face of American Eagle following the Sydney Sweeney “Good Jeans” controversy earlier in the fall. The 84-year-old lifestyle guru stars in the latest AE Jeans campaign, a set of holiday season ads, wearing head-to-toe denim and, of course, diamonds. The campaign is meant to play into the timeless nature of denim as a universally appealing gift.
In the campaign, Stewart wears the AE Stretch Skinny Jean, and the Cropped Jacket, with a Classic Crew Neck Sweater draped over her shoulders.
“The holidays are a time for thoughtful giving,” Stewart shared in a press release, adding, “and I’ve always believed that there’s nothing more useful or more universally appreciated than a pair of jeans.”
And, beautifully wrapped as all of the super hostess’ gifts might be, she acknowledges, “If you want to give a gift that will be worn, loved, and appreciated long after the wrapping paper is gone, give the gift of American Eagle jeans.”
“This holiday season, we’re settling for nothing less than a perfect fit,” Stewart says in a video shared by Stewart and the denim brand. As she wraps a gift box in denim with a contrasting denim ribbon, she adds, “Giving generously during the holiday season is one of my greatest joys.”
The camera then zooms in to reveal that the note on the card reads, “To: Martha, From: Martha.”
“When the gift is jeans, it’s always giving. Welcome to Martha’s denim season. Start gifting,” said the caption on Instagram.
The holiday ad campaign arrives a few weeks after Sweeney addressed the “Good Jeans’ controversy in a video interview with GQ. “I did a jean ad,” she told the outlet. “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.”
Thankfully, Stewart is here to finally try and clean up the AE mess. After all, that is kind of her whole thing.
As to the exact reason why Stewart was tapped for the holiday ad campaign, AE’s marketing chief Craig Brommers told Adweek that the partnership with Stewart lets the brand expand beyond its core Gen Z audience to older shoppers who often buy for them. While Stewart has multigenerational appeal, he said, awareness of her brand and image has grown among Gen Z in recent years.
Thanks to her rising presence on social media and her recent Netflix documentary, Brommers said Stewart is “at a peak of popularity across many generations.” “When people think of an iconic holiday host, they think of Martha Stewart,” he said. “This is an unexpected partnership, but it’s the right one.”
“We know the world is watching American Eagle campaigns right now,” he said, hinting at the brand’s recent high-profile collaborations with Sweeney and Travis Kelce. “It’s important for us to have a plot twist to our story. But those twists have to fit a strategic intention,” he added. “Our intention is to make sure American Eagle jeans are top of mind when people shift into gift-buying mode.”
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