American Eagle’s Holiday Plot Twist? Martha Stewart in Denim

American Eagle is ending an eventful year with an unexpected star for its holiday campaign: ultimate host and tastemaker, Martha Stewart.

Wearing jeans in a denim-hued dreamscape, Stewart is on hand to provide holiday tips and inspiration for all ages. The retailer’s new content series, “Martha Wraps the Gifts in AE,” is a playful take on getting ready for the season, with Stewart emphasizing that jeans are a universal gift across generations.

In partnering with Stewart, American Eagle is branching out beyond its typical Gen Z target to the older generations who shop for them, chief marketing officer (CMO) Craig Brommers told ADWEEK. While Stewart has cross-generational appeal, her name and image awareness among Gen Z grew by 33% between 2020 and 2024 and is now on par with Millennials, according to a recent E-Poll survey.

Thanks in part to Stewart’s growing social media presence and her recent Netflix documentary, “Martha is at the height of her popularity with a lot of generations,” Brommers said. “When people think of an iconic holiday host, people think Martha Stewart. This partnership will be unexpected and make perfect sense at the same time.”

The collaboration with Stewart continues American Eagle’s holiday marketing push, which began in late September with the “AE Holiday House” featuring a diverse, multigenerational cast wearing their favorite holiday fits from the retailer. A second product spot was focused on denim. 

As the crucial holiday shopping period kicks off during Thanksgiving week, American Eagle wanted to surprise audiences with its latest marketing chapter, said Brommers.

“We know that the world is watching American Eagle campaigns right now,” he said, alluding to the brand’s recent high-profile collaborations with Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce. “It’s important to have a plot twist to our story.”

“Still, those plot twists have to ladder up to a strategic intent,” he continued. “Our intent is to make sure American Eagle jeans are top of mind as people get into that gift giving mode.”

The campaign will run primarily on social, digital, and connected TV channels. “We wanted the media mix to reflect the intent of campaign, which is bringing people together,” Brommers said.

The Stewart partnership supports American Eagle’s strategy of leaning into nostalgia through recognizable characters, said Brommers, pointing to holiday products and content that feature the Grinch and Snoopy.

“Iconic characters matter,” Brommers said. “It feels nostalgic but is brought to life in a fresh way.”

After the holiday season, American Eagle will continue “to take big swings at big moments,” Brommers said. “We have permission to not just participate in culture, but define culture. All of that should ladder up to our brand platform: We want people to understand American Eagle has great jeans, for everyone and anyone.”