The power of smart marketing: American Eagle & GAP 

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPRM chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

We all have seen it, and if you haven’t yet, I am sure which one stood out the most for you. Let’s go back to when women did not even have the right to vote nor had a bank account. Back in the 1800s (and even before), women were just considered homemakers, just the typical “tradwife”, who had to cook, clean, do the dishes and laundry, and have children. Women did not earn their rights immediately; instead, they had to fight for them in order to be respected. For example, as women, we evolve by fighting for what we deserve. From 1848 to the present time, we are still fighting for our rights, and every time a woman like Tia Billinger and activists like Phyllis Schlafly get involved in this topic, it just sets feminism back. Why do I mention this? Because the comparison with American Eagle’s campaign and GAP’s is very noticeable. In fact, the one that targeted the right audience went viral. Let’s analyze both side by side.

American Eagle (AE) is a clothing and accessories retailer with its headquarters located in SouthSide Works, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On July 23, 2025, AE dropped its newest campaign with Sydney Sweeney as its face. The message it delivered wasn’t what most people expected. It became a controversial ad. It divided many people because, while this ad was intended for a specific audience, other people found the ad quite disturbing. We get the art of promoting and presenting a product, but was her monologue that made viewers feel uncomfortable, or was the way she acted necessary? According to the newsletter NPR, the company’s ad campaign was “supposed to raise awareness against domestic violence,” but many took it the wrong way, as the ad was a shot for a maximum of 3 minutes, with no context at all. Based on the backlash the ad received, it caused a commotion for many, to the point where the ad became a global topic. It’s truly a matter of how people view and interpret things. AE also made it seem like it was made for a specific public by playing with the word “jeans” referring to “genes”, and how Sydney is the typical stereotype for women in the USA. That’s why the phrase “Sydney has great jeans” is said in the end. The ad has received so much backlash that AE had to remove it. 

There we have an example of a wasted marketing campaign. In contrast, GAP has been in the competition for years and has never disappointed. For example, I remember Tyla’s campaign in spring 2024, and how it reached 2M views and counting. Another example is Troye Sivan. He had a campaign later that year with iconic choreography that caused it to get to  1.2M views, and it’s still going strong on social media platforms such as X and TikTok. With that being said, GAP has recently released another campaign with global group Katseye, and this ad has proved that we don’t need to oversexualize women in order to sell a product. In other words, GAP knows real marketing, and that has set the bar high for the competition. People imitate the choreo everywhere, because it’s become iconic, especially in a society that is “chronically online” (a term used to describe people that use social media all the time, and follow the latest trends). 
Smart marketing is important in a capitalist society. The idea is to convince people that the item is necessary in their everyday life, making a pathway for overconsumption if the audience is easily influenced. At the end of the day, it’s you and your wallet against the world. AE and GAP have become the key examples when explaining the difference between good and bad marketing. Nowadays, social media has the power to help people express themselves, take a topic, and make it trend, creating a wave of opinions that can either make or break a brand. This influence shows that marketing no longer just sells a product, but it shapes conversations, identities, and even cultures. While some consumers see through the strategy and resist, others are pulled in by the “hype”, proving how powerful yet controversial smart marketing can be.