Podcast Summary: Mixed Signals from Semafor Media

Episode Title: The Inside Story of Sydney Sweeney's 'Great Jeans' — and Why American Eagle Ignored Crisis Comms
Date: October 24, 2025
Host(s): Max Tani, Ben Smith
Guest: Craig Brommers, CMO of American Eagle

Overview

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at American Eagle's viral and controversial "Great Jeans" campaign starring Sydney Sweeney. Hosts Max Tani and Ben Smith sit down with American Eagle CMO Craig Brommers to discuss the campaign's genesis, the unexpected social and political firestorm, and the unconventional response to public outcry. The episode dives into the nuances of risk-taking in modern marketing, measuring brand sentiment in real time, and the lessons learned from navigating a national media frenzy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origin of the 'Great Jeans' Campaign

• Goal: American Eagle aimed to create the defining denim campaign for back-to-school 2025, featuring the "It girl" of the year.
• Choice of Sydney Sweeney: Sydney's duality—red carpet glamour meets approachable authenticity—mirrored the versatility of American Eagle jeans.
  • "When you look at a list of IT girls, it's very, very short... Sydney really was our hope and our dream." – Craig (05:14)
• Authenticity: Sydney and subsequent collaborator Travis Kelce both grew up wearing American Eagle, making the partnerships feel genuine.
• Creative Inspiration: The “Great Jeans” tagline echoes iconic campaigns like Brooke Shields for Calvin Klein, intentionally leveraging pop culture nostalgia.
  • "The campaign was always supposed to remind the American public that American Eagle has great genes. It's our superpower. It's our must win category." – Craig (08:37)

2. Risk-Taking and Creative Process

• Deliberate Boldness: The team wanted to stand out in the crowded "attention economy," treating the campaign more like entertainment than traditional retail.
  • "We have to program our brand as if we were an entertainment channel...to be in the conversation, you have to be the conversation." – Craig (11:21)
• Anticipation of Controversy: While the team knew casting Sydney would spark conversation, they did not anticipate the eugenics accusations.
  • "Did we anticipate anyone criticizing this campaign over eugenics? The direct answer to that is no, it's absurd." – Craig (12:11)
• Creative Risks Considered: Some internal concern about being "more provocative" than usual, but the team viewed it as a necessary swing for cultural relevance.

3. Going Viral, Political Adoption, and Market Impact

• Immediate Results: The campaign led to a 25% spike in American Eagle stock on the first day, with further jumps as the campaign gained political attention.
  • "My day is going pretty damn well on, on day one." – Craig (13:36)
  • "There were three moments...the stock went up almost 25%...another 25% when President Trump commented...then it jumped 38% on that earnings call." – Craig (14:20)
• When Things Got ‘Strange’: Negative sentiment erupted on LinkedIn and spread to other platforms; the most significant pushback came on one Monday (70% net negative sentiment).
  • "'It began to gather some steam on social media, TikTok, X, and others. And...Monday...was the most difficult day...the one and only net negative social sentiment that we faced during the campaign.'" – Craig (16:11)
  • Sentiment rebounded rapidly the next day.

4. Crisis Management: The Choice to Do Nothing

• Leadership Unity: The CEO and board gave unwavering support, rejecting the "offensive" critiques tying the campaign to themes of Nazism or white supremacy.
  • "They felt that this line of criticism again was absurd and almost offensive...our chairman and CEO is a very well known Jewish businessman...so for some of the social media noise to go down these paths...was honestly offensive." – Craig (19:19)
• Rejecting the Crisis Comms Playbook: Contrary to typical advice to respond quickly and publicly, the team stayed silent, monitored data, and stayed the course.
  • "The smartest thing we ever did was do nothing because it allowed us to really, truly take stock in what was really happening...we probably did the opposite of what these so-called crisis comms experts would tell you to do." – Craig (21:08)

5. National Conversation & Customer Response

• Political Amplification: The campaign was embraced by conservative figures but, according to Craig, not condemned by major Democratic politicians.
  • "I do think that there were certain news outlets that were talking about it more, but I don't think this was again, a political us versus them story. I think that this was common sense and I think that most people looked at this and said, I don't get it." – Craig (25:28)
• Customer Growth Nationwide: Data showed increased sales and new customers in every county, not just in conservative areas.
  • "We had customer growth in every single county in the US...this was a very widespread phenomenon for American Eagle." – Craig (28:02)

6. Travis Kelce Collab and Unexpected Timing

• Long-Term Planning: The Kelce campaign was in the works for a year and was not timed to his engagement with Taylor Swift.
• Serendipitous Timing: The engagement coinciding with the product launch generated even more buzz, though American Eagle claims no prior knowledge.
  • "I promise your listeners the launch date was the launch date...We had absolutely no idea of what Travis was doing in his personal life...And then the world goes crazy..." – Craig (30:30, 32:02)

7. Reflection and Future Plans

• Relationship with Sydney Sweeney: No new announcements, but high praise for her resilience and partnership.
  • "When the going got tough, Sydney was super solid. And I just am proud to call her a partner." – Craig (32:49)
• Lessons Learned: The campaign’s reception was more about audience projection and less about true controversy. The team plans to continue being bold while staying true to brand values.
  • "People were projecting themselves onto this campaign and there were different ways in...the reaction says as much about them as it says about us...we're gonna do our thing and then you can keep on talking about it in whatever way you want to." – Craig (35:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bold Creative Risk:
  • "If you're able to land a big talent like Sydney Sweeney, you don't go into the creative process meekly...you have to be bold, have some fun." – Craig (10:07)
• On Social Media Outrage:
  • "It was like living in parallel universes...such encouraging performance from a customer business and advertising perspective...and then beginning to see the noise hurling around social media..." – Craig (18:24)
• On Not Responding to Crisis:
  • "The crisis communications industrial complex tells you you need to get out there and make a statement...I think the smartest thing we ever did was do nothing..." – Craig (21:00)
• On American Cultural Positioning:
  • "We're not trying to be controversial. The goal was to create the IT jeans campaign of 2025...not the most controversial campaign." – Craig (34:12)
• On Consumer Reaction:
  • "People were projecting themselves onto this campaign...it says as much about them as it does about us..." – Craig (35:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Set-up (00:06–01:29)
• Genesis of the Campaign (05:08–08:56)
• Risk Assessment (09:07–11:59)
• Controversy & Social Media Backlash (13:30–19:12)
• Crisis Management & Brand Response (19:19–22:00)
• Political and National Attention (24:35–28:45)
• Travis Kelce Collaboration & Unplanned Synergy (28:58–32:02)
• Reflections & Future Brand Vision (32:49–36:08)
• Hosts' Debrief & Analysis (37:14–41:27)

Episode Tone

The conversation is sharp, both critical and good-humored, balancing real skepticism about the nature of “planned” controversy with admiration for bold marketing in today’s attention economy. Craig Brommers is candid, sometimes wry, and stays pragmatic throughout, while Max and Ben probe for both inside stories and implications for the media industry.

Summary Takeaways

• The American Eagle 'Great Jeans' campaign was a masterclass in making national conversation by being bold, embracing popular talent, and refusing to feed the outrage cycle.
• Despite (or perhaps because of) political hijacking and online furor, the brand focused on real performance data, widespread customer growth, and stood by their intent.
• In an era where “crisis” goes viral in seconds, sometimes the most successful response is measured silence and trust in the underlying product and creative vision.
• The episode provides a unique peek into how media, politics, and commerce intersect in today’s digital-first, attention-driven market landscape.