Go ahead and express yourself.
At the heart of the new marketing campaigns from American Eagle and Aerie are the themes of self-expression, empowerment and inclusivity.
At American Eagle, the brand is showcasing its new multifaceted Ne(X)t Level jeans campaign as an extension of its #AExME brand platform that it began this past spring, which celebrates freedom and individuality through fashion, music and youth culture. A key element is its inclusion of 20 real customers to show how they express themselves through American Eagle jeans. They are part of the brand’s Make Moves video, set to Kendrick Lamar’s “DNA” and shot across the U.S. The brand also teamed with Universal Music Group and Brands to identify emerging artists — including Bea Miller, Bibi Bourelly and Lewis Capaldi, to name a few — for a digital content series that documents their artistic aspirations. They are integrated into the American Eagle campaign wearing the brand’s jeans. There is also a partnership with Rock the Vote seeking customer designs that express how they drive change through art, with four designs to be selected for production and sold online and in select stores beginning on Sept. 21. All proceeds will benefit Rock the Vote.
More importantly, new for fall is #AEJeans Made for You, a digital guide for men and women that embraces all body types by showing how the “range of sizes are made to move and make the customer feel their best,” the company said.
Chad Kessler, American Eagle global brand president, said, “We try to show all different body types and leg shapes of the jeans, not a certain body type wearing a certain fit. [Whichever] way you’re feeling comfortable in the jean is the right way to wear the jeans.”
Kessler said the start of the campaign will coincide with the opening of a new mall store in Boston on Thursday that iterates the self-expression components of its Union Square store in Manhattan. A part of the layout includes a denim customization station. Kessler said the new store also features a community area similar to the one at its Union Square site, where a table allows customers to congregate and even charge their mobile devices.
Aerie is continuing its body positivity movement with a new Aerie Bras Make You Feel Real Good campaign that now features of group of 57 customers representing diverse backgrounds, ages and body types. The campaign begins on Aug. 2. It is part of the evolving #AerieReal platform that began in 2014. The brand continues to forgo any airbrushing of the women who appear in its imagery.
In addition to four new bra collections — Real Happy, Real Sunnie, Real Me and Real Power — the campaign coincides with fitting room updates, a new bra measuring process and an associate body confidence training program in partnership with the National Eating Disorders Association. The new bras feature 360-degree stretch, softer fabric, j-hooks for easy adjustments and removable padding for choice of push level. The confidence training program for the entire staff — 9,000 store associates and 150 call center representatives — focuses on shifting customers’ thought process from negative comments to a positive direction to help with self-confidence.
Jennifer Foyle, Aerie global brand president, said of the new initiatives that include an expansion of its bra size offerings, “We are embracing our customers [and] letting them be part of our brand.…Whatever it may be [for] body type, small and large, we are making sure we’re well balanced and have a woman [representing] every bra size.”
Foyle said women can now select a bra by band and cup size and see how the bra will fit on a real woman, versus the old method of using a standard size fit model. Further, the new fit finder uses the brand’s proprietary measuring tape that measures both the band and cup sizes in one measure, she explained.
The campaign also comes at a time when the brand is rolling out its new “Market Store” concept. The brand opened its latest Aerie Market Store earlier this month in SoHo on Prince Street. There are seven in total so far, and Foyle said all 40 new Aerie stores slated to open in the current fiscal year will reflect the new format.
Both brands are owned by American Eagle Outfitters Inc.
