American Eagle’s Latest Celeb Collaborator? Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift’s Fiancé

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift almost broke the internet on Tuesday, Aug. 26, with their Instagram engagement reveal, featuring a floral photoshoot and a 10-carat ring.

With 27 million likes and counting, brands including Krispy Kreme and Walmart have rushed to capitalize on the buzz. Now American Eagle is dropping its own timely collaboration and campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

Following a partnership with Euphoria actor Sydney Sweeney, the company has launched a 90-piece limited-edition collection with the NFL player’s sportswear and lifestyle brand Tru Kolors, founded in 2019. 

American Eagle chief marketing officer (CMO) Craig Brommers did not confirm whether the brand was given a heads up on the engagement, but told ADWEEK it had been in conversations with Kelce since June 2024.

The collection will roll out across two drops on Aug. 27 and Sept. 24, featuring everything from vintage-inspired T-shirts to varsity jackets. Kelce served as a creative director on the project, involved in design, sample selection, and more. Prices run from $14.95 to $179.95.

“We had a desire to create a collection that was unique, yet accessible,” said Brommers, adding that “every detail mattered” throughout the design process.

The range is backed by a campaign featuring Kelce’s friends and fellow athletes, including rising tennis star Anna Frey, basketball guard Azzi Fudd, and gold medal-winning gymnast Suni Lee.

The “AE x Tru Kolors” by Travis Kelce push will run globally across all social platforms. Out-of-home placements will also pop up in the Chiefs’ hometown of Kansas City. The brand is also partnering with NFL news podcast, The Ringer, and running extensive CTV ads.

Kelce’s cultural clout

This is the latest play from American Eagle to court Gen Z’s dollars by leaning into big moments across sports and culture. In 2024, the brand ran ads around the Super Bowl with athletes including U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

In July 2024, it unveiled a fresh take on its longstanding “Live Your Life,” slogan with a focus on self-expression and connection. 

Brommers said Kelce has the “unique ability” to appeal to a Gen Z audience beyond sports, which consistently ranks as a top interest for the company’s target consumers. “He represents the perfect mix of athleticism and cultural relevance that resonates with our consumer,” the marketer said.

“I’ve had to keep my excitement about this collab under wraps for nearly a year. It was an awesome opportunity to team up with an established brand where both sides were excited to truly collaborate on every decision in the design and creative process that brought the ‘AE x TK’ collection to life,” said Kelce in a press release.

The NFL player added: “I started Tru Kolors in 2019 on the foundation of showing up authentically and having fun with style, and we wanted this collab to reflect that same energy. I want everyone to feel like there is something for them in the collection, something they can feel good in and make their own. I’m excited for it to finally be out in the world.”

‘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.