The Battle of The Denim Ads

Commercials have the capability to make a lasting impact on not only consumers’ minds but also culture, trends, and brand reputations. Three recent campaigns for Gap, American Eagle, and Levi’s all broke into the spotlight for a variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at how these advertisements broke through the noise and made an impact, both positive and negative.

1.     Gap x Katseye | “Better in Denim”

Strengths: Gap often uses music and dancing in ads, and it has proved effective for their marketing. This ad is certainly no exception. The use of Kelis’ “Milkshake” allowed the commercial to have a nostalgic feel whilst solidifying itself in pop culture history by featuring Katseye as the face of the ad. The choreography and cinematography work together to allow the fashion to shine.

Weaknesses: Although this is not a new marketing tactic for Gap, some people may come across the video and simply see it as a dance or music video. The only bit of branding in the commercial comes at the very end when the logo is shown briefly. Another concern that was voiced online was a lack of availability for some of the articles of clothing featured. Many viewers watched the advertisement and immediately wanted to purchase some of the tops worn by the members of Katseye, only to find out they were not a part of the Gap collection and were custom-made for the shoot. This caused frustration among fans who were looking forward to buying from the collection after watching the ad.

2.      American Eagle | “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”

Strengths: American Eagle leaned into cultural relevancy by choosing Sydney Sweeney to be the face of their campaign. She has been in the spotlight as of late, so this ensured their campaign saw a lot of eyes.

Weaknesses: The campaign faced a large amount of criticism online, which sparked backlash for American Eagle. The phrase “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” is the tagline for the campaign, which many people online found to be controversial, especially when paired with another commercial in the campaign that has since been removed. This ad has Sweeney define the word “genes” whilst showing her buttoning a pair of American Eagle jeans, then she proceeds to say “My jeans are blue” before the campaign tagline comes across the screen. Critics interpreted this ad as encouraging racism and eugenics, as Sydney Sweeney is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman.

3.     LEVI’S | “The Denim Cowboy” starring Beyoncé

Strengths: The Levi’s ad campaign with Beyoncé was a surefire success simply due to the global star power that she holds. The campaign also features Beyoncé’s song, “LEVII’S JEANS” from her most recent album, Cowboy Carter. This album sparked major conversations online, as it was Beyoncé’s first venture into the world of country music. The song, combined with the wow-factor of Beyoncé being the face of the campaign, allows it to remain culturally relevant for years to come.

Weaknesses: Some consumers found an issue with the relatability of the advertisement. Since the star of the commercial was Beyoncé herself, people felt that it was disingenuous to show her wearing Levi’s jeans when she is often pictured in expensive designer fashion. These consumers argued that they didn’t believe she wears Levi’s and complained that the jeans would not fit them as well as they fit her.

By looking at all three advertisements, we cannot provide an equation for the perfect denim ad; however, we can gather several takeaways.

•Music and dance can be used to create a viral moment in a campaign.

•Be sure not to falsely advertise.

•Celebrity partnership can be helpful at times, but it is important to check your messaging with others before the campaign goes up.

•Listen to what your consumers have to say, and respond to feedback.

•Always have a crisis management plan in place, in case of an emergency.

•Star power can be used to assert cultural dominance, but you may lose an air of accessibility among consumers.

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