‘Swiftynomics’

The campaign will have some heavy lifting to do to help American Eagle turn its finances around. It posted a $68 million adjusted operating loss in the first quarter of 2025, owing to the impact of tariffs, product misses, and a cold spring.

When it comes to KPIs from the Kelce partnership, Brommers said American Eagle is currently focused on the two drops, but hopes people are still talking about the campaign in “a year or 20.”

He continued: “More importantly, we hope the positive momentum, brand visibility, and deep customer engagement continue as we position American Eagle at the center of culture for many years to come.”

American Eagle has always featured celebrity endorsements, but this year it’s gone harder on deals with trending talent, including Sweeney, and another with the cast of buzzy Prime Video series The Summer I Turned Pretty.

“We don’t want to just work with talent that reflects culture; we want to work with them to define it,” said Brommers. 

The launch also comes as brands race to capitalize on the cultural halo effect of Swift, whose influence on consumer behavior has been dubbed “Swiftynomics.”

From NFL ticket and ad sales to brands like Panera and Reese’s jumping on the buzz around her recent Life of a Showgirl album reveal on the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast, Swift’s ability to drive demand extends well beyond music.

Her dedicated fans, dubbed Swifties, spent approximately $5 billion in U.S. destinations during her 2023/24 Eras Tour, according to the U.S. Travel Association. When indirect spending was factored in, this number exceeded $10 billion.