Fashionista: This Year, #AerieREAL is All About the Community

There are still celebrities and influencers, but the brand wants to celebrate its customers, too.

By: Tyler Mccall | Link to article 

Since it first made headlines by banning photoshop all the way back in 2014, Aerie’s #AerieReal campaign has been a magnet for models and celebrities looking to lend their voices to a brand that actually stands for something, attracting names like Yara Shahidi, Jameela Jamil and Samira Wiley. By 2020, the roster was absolutely stacked, with Hari Nef, Beanie Feldstein, Lana Condor and Ali Stroker joining longtime Role Models Aly Raisman and Iskra Lawrence, alongside a group of activists, in representing the brand.

But, much like everyone else, the Covid-19 crisis prompted Aerie to rethink everything. And while the team is not quite abandoning their winning formula — Kelsea Ballerini and Antonia Gentry are stepping into the Role Model shoes for a bit — Aerie wanted to embrace the people who have made the brand so successful: its community.

“The last year, for us, what we’ve had a chance to do is really take a step back and to look at what’s important,” says Aerie SVP of Brand Marketing Stacey McCormick. “We see so much inspiration coming through our customer lens.”

It started, McCormick says, with The Positivity Challenge, a social media campaign aimed at encouraging Aerie’s followers to share positive stories early on during the pandemic. What the brand hadn’t counted on, however, was the organic engagement, itself the fruition of several years’ worth of #AerieReal campaigns: real customers posting TikToks and Instagram Reels of their own volition, talking about how Aerie’s product made them feel like their best selves. It’s the kind of thing most brands can only dream about.

“What we’ve seen in that community growth over the past six months blows our minds,” McCormick says, singling out TikToker Hannah Schlenker, whose post about Aerie’s super-popular crossover leggings went viral. “If you pull up #crossoverleggings [on TikTok], there’s 10 million views, which blows our mind because that legging has been there for the whole year. November is when it took off, and we thank Hannah for that, but it’s another story of that organic love.”

Aerie now works with Schlenker in a more official capacity — she’s become a “crossover curator” — and she isn’t the only one. The brand has a couple of different programs through which it works with influencers, one of which is an ambassador program “built on a very diverse group of women who are leaders within their community,” ranging from college students to moms.

The other, which McCormick is excited to roll out later this year, is the Changemakers program: Members of the Aerie community can submit their personal stories and causes for the chance at a $20,000 grant from the brand, earmarked for helping them create change in their own communities. More on that is coming in October; for the time being, McCormick shares that there are 23 women who have been chosen by Aerie already, and that their stories will be followed throughout the next year.

“When we looked at how we want to evolve, what we do in Real, we said, ‘We have to start with community first. We really have to amplify the voices that are within our ambassador program, that are within our newly formed Changemaker program,'” McCormick says. “It’s an evolution of what the campaign has been doing. It’s bringing more of our internal heroes to the forefront and having their voices be heard.”

Celebrities remain a key part of that evolution: “We really embed them into the DNA,” according to McCormick, noting that Aerie doesn’t just sign them on as famous faces — they work with them on causes near and dear to their hearts.

Raisman has stayed on, continuing her work with mental health advocacy. Ballerini and Gentry round out the high-profile side, each vocalizing their commitments to authenticity and inclusivity, respectfully. Adding to the influencer side of the #AerieReal roster are TikTok phenoms the NaeNae Twins (Shayné and Zhané Stanley) and The Rollettes (Chelsie Hill, Samantha Lopez, Steph Aiello, Maria Rabaino, Conner Lundius and Natalie Fung), a wheelchair dance team.

Most marketing teams would be nervous to make changes to what has so far proved to be quite the winning formula, but McCormick emphasizes that what’s most important to Aerie is serving its customers — both new and loyal alike.

“With #AerieReal, it was rooted in community in the beginning, but now our base has grown so much. Those customers have grown with us,” McCormick says. “They’ve evolved. They’ve had kids. They’ve been changed, and the impact that they’ve had as a result of the brand being there to support them, we feel it’s important for them to speak up and to really drive a lot of what’s happening. We have so many people coming into the brand and actually coming into social media that needs Real now more than ever.”

AdAge: TikTok stars and wheelchair dance team join Aerie’s body positivity push

Watch the newest campaign for American Eagle’s lingerie and athletic line

By: Sydney Gold | Link to article 

Watch the newest campaign for American Eagle’s lingerie and athletic line

Aerie, American Eagle Outfitters’ intimate and lifestyle clothing brand that pioneered body-positive advertising in teen fashion seven years ago, is calling on a new cast of endorsers to push its “real” message.

A new fall campaign debuted today featuring actress Antonia Gentry, singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerini, TikTok creators the NaeNaeTwins, wheelchair dance team the Rollettes, as well as Aly Raisman, the former Olympic gymnast who’s been with the brand since 2018. The national campaign includes a video featuring the stars on beaches, eating takeout, dancing and proclaiming what makes them “Aerie real.” The brand is also calling on customers to get involved in the campaign by submitting their own videos for a chance to be featured in future campaigns. The campaign will run in digital media and in stores.

The effort, called “#AerieREAL Voices,” was produced in-house and continues the “Real” campaign that first debuted in 2014 and featured unretouched models with diverse body types. It was considered a breakthrough approach at the time, with so many of Aerie’s competitors still pushing more superficial messages. For instance, Victoria Secret was hosting an annual lingerie fashion show drawing nearly ten thousand eyes and some of the world’s most exclusive talent. Apparel brand Brandy Melville plugged “one size (small) fits most” clothing, while Abercrombie & Fitch ran ads starring Hollywood’s newest batch of young talent.

Aerie’s approach was “a risk,” says the brand’s senior VP of brand marketing, Stacey McCormick. But the risk paid dividends and uprooted the way clothing brands advertise to Gen Z consumers, while catapulting Aerie from American Eagle’s in-house swim and intimate section to a powerful brand with its own identity.

“I attribute this whole body positivity movement to Aerie,” says Gabriella Santaniello, brand strategist and founder and CEO of independent retail research firm A Line Partners. “They were the first out there with real life models…It just started something and really hit a nerve with customers.”

“Gen Z is about inclusivity, and they don’t care if however you identify is .001% of the population. They still want you included,” she adds. “If you ignore that, I mean, you ignore that to your detriment.”

Other fashion brands have followed Aerie’s lead, including Victoria’s Secret, which overhauled its entire marketing approach earlier this year, including adding endorsers such as soccer star Megan Rapinoe, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and body advocate Paloma Elsesser. Legacy brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister have also shifted towards this style of marketing over the past few years, tackling body positivity and fighting against bullying in campaigns.

The approach is found in other categories, too. Several direct-to-consumer brands launched more recently, such as  Parade, Billie, and Glossier, have an element of social responsibility baked into their ethos, be it size diversity, realistic advertisements, or inclusive model selection. Of course, Dove set the standard way back in 2004 with its  “Real Beauty” campaign.

Ads that prioritize realistic beauty standards still have to sell products, and real beauty is still a kind of beauty, albeit a more diverse interpretation of a formerly narrow standard. Charcy Evers, a futurist and social impact strategist, notes that the moniker of “real” beauty still places the idea of good looks at the center of the conversation, opting for body positivity over the perhaps more uncomfortable and radical position of body neutrality.

“I think a lot of people are jumping on sustainability and inclusivity and diversity right now as more, you know, just formality, because they have to,” says Evers. “As opposed to, it’s really intrinsic to their brand. And I think that that will become crystal clear for brands that do not kind of walk the walk, but just talk the talk.”

Aerie has an advantage because it has been pushing the message for a while. It has paid off in the form of stellar sales results. “We’ve seen this rapid pace of growth, this twenty-six consecutive quarters of double digit growth,” says McCormick. Despite the pandemic and decline of malls, Aerie plans to open 87 new stores this year.

The Real People Behind #AerieREAL

In an interview, Raisman said she had been interested in Aerie a couple of years before debuting in a 2018 ad for the brand, “because I had seen their no retouching campaign and I just thought it was so amazing.” The year 2018 was a notable one for Raisman because of her testimony against former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar is serving a 60-year prison sentence for child pornography and was accused of sexual abuse by over 250 women.

“I think a lot of survivors, myself included, you know, your relationship with your body can sometimes change after you’ve been through something really traumatic,” says Raisman. “I think that being in gymnastics, in that sport, and then going through abuse, it definitely has impacted my relationship with my body.” Raisman says joining the Aerie team and participating in photoshoots has been a great outlet for her to heal her relationship with her body, and form friendships.

Chelsie Hill, founder of The Rollettes, who is also featured in the campaign, has a background as an athlete, growing up as a competitive dancer before a car accident rendered her paralyzed from the waist down at age 17. She founded the Rollettes to “empower women with disabilities to live boundlessly and shift perspective through dance.” Collaborating with Aerie was a “more than perfect” way to provide people with disabilities representation and empowerment, particularly in a landscape often lacking representations of people with disabilities, she says.

“Everyone is always like, oh, it’s all body types. These companies are for all body types. but for so long, we never saw all body types,” she says.

There is still room to grow for Aerie, and for all brands looking to incorporate representation into their marketing. Hill says she is eager for the day when a major brand teams up with people with disabilities to create not just representative campaigns, but clothing that’s accessible for people with varying levels of ability—like “clothing for the disabled community to work out, or clothing for them with different snap buttons or Velcro.”

This story has been updated with the exact number of stores Aerie plans to open in 2021.

WWD EXCLUSIVE: Aerie Real Taps a New Kind of Brand Ambassador

The innerwear brand’s Aerie Real role models have grown to include voices throughout the community.

By: Kellie Ell | Link to article 

Aerie is keeping it real.

The innerwear brand, part of American Eagle Outfitters, is back with its annual Aerie Real campaign. Except this time, the Aerie Real role models have been replaced by Aerie Real voices.

“In the past we’ve had role models and they’ve been fantastic. But now it’s more than just role models,” Stacey McCormick, senior vice president of Aerie brand marketing, told WWD. “It’s the community, it’s our ambassadors, it’s our change makers. It’s a lot more than just appointed people.

Innerwear brand Aerie reveals its Aerie Real Voices.

“The customer has made this brand so famous,” McCormick continued. “And viral moments that have happened [on social media] with some of the Aerie product is literally the customers speaking for us. The customers who have been there for us and supported us, we want to make sure they’re part of the story.”

The new Aerie Real Voices include actress Antonia Gentry, singer, songwriter Kelsea Ballerini, TikTok personalities the NaeNaeTwins and wheelchair dance team the Rollettes, along with previous AerieReal role model, gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman. 

But McCormick is quick to point out that Aerie Real Voices will not be limited to these select few. In fact, the brand will continue to add voices from the greater Aerie community this fall, everyone from “mothers to business owners to people who are in very specific communities,” McCormick explained.

“They’re voices of this generation that are important and have been with us on the journey and are fans of the brand,” she said. “The evolution of what’s been happening and what we’ve really been doubling down over the past year is elevating the communities’ voices and having these ambassadors and people who are integrated in the brand in many different ways speak up.”

The Aerie Real Voices campaign includes actress Antonia Gentry.

While advocating for diversity and inclusion may be the current norm, Aerie, which was founded in 2006, was one of the first lingerie brands to feature so-called “real women” modeling its products. In 2014, the innerwear, swimwear and loungewear brand launched the first Aerie Real campaign with role model Iskra Lawrence proudly posing in Aerie products. Except there was no airbrushing and all the features that would have historically been considered flaws — including stretch marks and cellulite — were on display.

It didn’t take long for both Aerie’s fanbase and list of role models to grow. Aerie’s annual revenues surpassed $1 billion in 2020, despite the damage caused by the pandemic on the overall retail industry. Now the brand has its sights set on the $2 billion mark.

“As the leader in showcasing real women, Aerie has built a powerful community, which we continue to foster by creating even greater opportunities for our customers’ voices to be heard,” said Jennifer Foyle, president and executive creative director of the American Eagle and Aerie brands. “The AerieReal Voices campaign serves as a global testimony to our brand, as we echo the personal journeys and stories of these incredible and inspiring individuals. Our leading brand platform and strong community, together with amazing product, is solidifying our leadership within the industry.”

TikTok personalities and sisters the NaeNaeTwins are part of the Aerie Real Voices campaign.

Aerie also launched a new sub brand — activewear brand Offline — in July 2020. And while competitors are shuttering brick-and-mortar stores at unprecedented rates, Aerie and Offline are on track to open new physical locations in the back half of 2021: 40 new Offline by Aerie stores, a mix of stand-alone, side-by-sides and shops-in-shop, and 47 new stand-alone Aerie stores, many of them in new markets.

“As important as digital is, those store experiences are also super important,” McCormick said. “The campaign and the brand is not 100 percent digital. It’s rooted in really making it from the bottom up, from the community up.”

That explains why Aerie Real Voices will be broadcast both digitally — by way of social media and the brand’s website — as well as in real life, including billboards, in-store activations and pop-up events, this fall.

Kelsea Ballerini is one of Aerie Real’s Voices.

Aerie’s second annual AerieReal Summit is also tentatively scheduled to take place in-person this October in New York City (depending on local lockdowns and CDC guidelines), at which time the brand will reveal its second batch of Aerie Real change makers, or women who inspire the Aerie community and have set out to create change, including the Rollettes.

“We are proud to be a part of the Aerie family and to serve as a blueprint for real and meaningful change,” said Chelsie Hill, founder and chief executive officer of the Rollettes. “At Rollettes, our mission is singularly focused on the support and empowerment of women and girls with disabilities all around the world. We are excited to partner with Aerie, as a like-minded brand committed to inspiring body positivity and amplifying real female voices across their platforms. With the shared sensibility that we are stronger together, we are using our voices as part of the Aerie Real campaign, to connect with the Aerie community and bring awareness to the importance of disability representation in fashion.”

Former Aerie Real role model Aly Raisman is now an Aerie Real Voice.

Aerie fans everywhere can also go to ae.com/aerie-real-life/real-voices, starting Oct. 6, for their chance to upload a personal video, sharing their stories and a chance to be selected for a future Aerie campaign or as an Aerie voice.“We’re scouting people to tell their stories and to have their story come to life through our platform,” McCormick said. “We feel with the Aerie Real community and how we’ve grown, these voices are the ones speaking for us. These voices are the ones telling people how the product has made them feel, how we helped them build their confidence. These voices are now on the forefront.” 

WWD Exclusive: Unsubscribed Brand Launches E-commerce Site

The slow fashion retail brand, part of the American Eagle Outfitters portfolio, has two stores, one in East Hampton, N.Y., and one in Westport, Conn.

By: Kellie Ell | Link to article

Unsubscribed is going online. 

The slow fashion brand, part of the American Eagle Outfitters family, is launching an e-commerce shopping site today.

“The demand [for Unsubscribed] has been so great that we would really like to share this product with more people,” Jennifer Foyle, president, executive creative director of American Eagle and Aerie, told WWD. “The first year did exceed expectations. That’s why we’re excited about opening up in new markets. And when you think about e-commerce, it’s an important part of every business. It’s a way to market your brand and get the brand out there in a fresh way.”

“The website really tells the story of the brand in such a unique way,” continued Foyle, whose title was recently updated to better reflect her additional responsibilities at AEO. “It’s so elevated and elegant and easy to shop. We definitely will continue to evolve it and have behind-the-scenes stories.”

The landing page for unsubscribed.com.

Unsubscribed is parent company American Eagle Outfitters’ fifth brand, along with AE, Aerie, Offline and Todd Snyder. The slow fashion retail concept opened last June with one store in East Hampton, N.Y., followed by a second in Westport, Conn. The idea was to slow down, enjoy the shopping experience and find unique treasures. (Products come from various locales around the world.) In short, it’s the opposite of fast fashion. Slow fashion, by contrast, or products that last longer and place greater emphasis on the production process, is something Foyle said is lacking in the fashion industry.

“The best brands survive the tidal wave of fast-fashion retailers; the pure play digitals that come in and they go,” Foyle said. “I’m in the business of creating brands and [brands] are what I think survive over time. And experiences for our customers.

“There are certainly new retailers that are coming in fast and furiously that are going to take advantage of the fashion that I do believe is going to come back,” Foyle continued. “But we’re all about an experience for our customer. Well-merchandised stores that make you want to shop and where you can feel comfortable. Unsubscribed is that experience where you want to enter and you want to stay. There are curiosities in the store that I think are exciting and new to the customer. And we don’t want her to have to search to find a great idea or a dress or an item. We want her to showcase that product.”

Pieces from Unsubscribed’s pre-fall 2021 assortment.

Turns out others agreed and word of Unsubscribed quickly spread to shoppers outside of the New York area. Foyle said the decision to launch Unsubscribed’s e-commerce business was partially motivated by the desire to open up the experience to people everywhere.

Until now the website, unsubscribed.com, has been used as a landing page with directions to stores, look books and even the chance to virtually tour the East Hampton location. Now visitors to the site will be able to purchase products as well.

The original Unsubscribed location in East Hampton, N.Y. 

In addition, two Unsubscribed stores are planned for this fall, one in Greenwich, Conn., and the other in Palm Beach, Fla.

“And every store is different,” Foyle said. “It’s not a cookie-cutter store visual experience. We consider East Hampton the beach. Westport is the gallery. We have art that is for sale from local artists. We don’t want every store to have 100 percent the same exact product.”

Of course opening a brick-and-mortar store during the pandemic came with its own challenges.

“We had to find different ways of bringing the product to life. It just took a little bit more time, a little bit more thought and a little bit more love,” Foyle said. “And, in retail, we’re always faced with a challenge. So we always pivot and learn and move ahead. The size of the business allows us to test and scale, to learn, to listen to our customers more intimately. And because our team can’t travel quite as much as we’d like to, to find products from all over the world during the pandemic. That is the intent [of the brand].”

There are also challenges in the supply chain, including production and sourcing. Foyle said the goal over time, however, will be for Unsubscribed to be 100 percent sustainable.

“We’re really thinking about the product and who we work with,” she explained. “Our thought process on the slow delivery already gets us a step ahead on the carbon footprint mission.”

There are things like recycled cashmere, 100 percent washable silk, vegan sneakers and vintage products, along with the Unsubscribed brand.

Pieces from Unsubscribed’s pre-fall 2021 assortment.

The website launches with Unsubscribed’s pre-fall 2021 collection, including an embroidery capsule, crinkle silk chiffon dresses and an expanded assortment of sweaters. In addition, each store drops two main collections a year, emphasizing quality over quantity, with the fall 2021 collection scheduled to drop Sept. 17. Foyle was tight-lipped about the details of the collection, but did say a curated assortment of products from similar brands — such as LemLem, Vega, Raen and Schosha — will be featured in a more seasonally appropriate way. Prices start at about $5 for accessories and go up to $550 for dresses.

“We’re constantly challenging ourselves to innovate and bring in product that not everyone carries,” Foyle said. “We want to be able to really surprise and delight based on where the store is and what the customer may want.

“This brand is a premium brand in the AEO portfolio,” she continued. “And we’re purpose-led. I think that’s really important in today’s world. And I love the juxtaposition and what Unsubscribed does for the portfolio. It’s simply luxury. It’s mindful, slow retail.”

WWD: EXCLUSIVE: American Eagle Goes Back to School With Snapchat

The fall 2021 campaign stars Chase Stokes, Madison Bailey, Addison Rae, Caleb McLaughlin and Jenna Ortega.

By Kellie Ell / Link to article

American Eagle is going back to school.

To celebrate, the retailer is rolling out its fall 2021 “Future Together, Jeans Are Forever” back-to-school campaign while building on the brand’s virtual Snapchat shopping experience.

“We’re having so much fun and so much success from Snapchat right now,” Craig Brommers, American Eagle’s chief marketing officer, told WWD. “Both sides of the [American Eagle and Snapchat] partnership are pushing each other toward innovation and engagement for our customer.”

American Eagle

It all began during last year’s holiday shopping season, when American Eagle rolled out its first Snapchat shopping experience, a virtual pop-up, followed by a digital 3D Snapchat Jeans Guide in the spring.

The latest American Eagle x Snapchat shopping experience, which launches today, builds on the momentum, allowing shoppers to browse the full AE assortment by way of “Dress Yourself” augmented reality. Using the Snapchat camera, consumers can take a photo of themselves and then virtually try on select pieces throughout the entire American Eagle assortment. They’ll also be able to share looks with friends and buy products while in the app.

In addition, American Eagle is partnering with Bitmoji for the first time. Shoppers can view the campaign cast — which includes Netflix’s “Outer Banks” stars Chase Stokes and Madison Bailey, TikTok personality Addison Rae, Netflix’s “Stranger Things” star Caleb McLaughlin and actress Jenna Ortega ​​— as Bitmoji characters, dressing them in various American Eagle outfits. Consumers will also have the ability to create their own Bitmoji and dress themselves in American Eagle styles.

“The experience highlights something we’ve been really excited about at American Eagle for the last year or so: We’re giving our customer the opportunity to shop anytime, anywhere, anyhow they want to,” Brommers said. “And to put innovation, along with an engaging experience, along with the ease of shopping, with just a couple of clicks, it was something that our customer really responded well to. It reinforces to us that Gen Z is a very social generation.”

In fact, the American Eagle brand sold more than $2 million worth of merchandise through the Snapchat holiday pop-up alone, while also generating roughly 50 million page views. That’s just a fraction of the $1.29 billion in revenues parent company American Eagle Outfitters — which also includes the Aerie, Offline, Todd Snyder and Unsubscribed brands — logged during the normally lucrative fourth quarter last year. It’s still impressive, nonetheless, helping to pave the way for an equally successful spring Snapchat campaign, which registered roughly $760,000 in sales and a click-through rate that was 300 percent higher than Snapchat’s baseline measurement rate.

It also helps that American Eagle has cast some of Gen Z’s hottest young talent to appear in the campaign, all of whom will participate in tonight’s event on Clubhouse, the audio-only social networking site.

“We wanted to work with the people that were going to be defining culture,” Brommers said. “The five [cast members] together are a terrific, inclusive, optimistic, energetic cast that is going to get a lot of people excited and [want to] head back to the malls and head back to our site to shop for back to school. And we thought the Clubhouse event would be an innovative way to have the cast talk about their experience on the set, their experience with clothes and what they have in their personal lives and professional lives in the coming months.”

American Eagle Caleb McLaughlin

McLaughlin added that Gen Z’s diversity — or at least the representation of it in mainstream media for the first time — is what makes his cohort so unique.

“No one’s, like, really the same anymore,” he said. “Everyone has their own thing going on. Different people coming together, different cultures, different races. I think that’s what’s special about Gen Z.”

But it’s not just Gen Z that has taken a liking to the brand. Brommers said growth in the American Eagle app spans across all demographics. So does a return to physical stores — even as consumers continue to engage online.

“The return to the physical world is real,” he explained. “We’ve seen it in our traffic trends. We’ve seen it in our customers, when he or she gets the chance to come back to the American Eagle stores, to look, touch and feel the product. So we’re creating a really engaging environment.

“The majority of kids for back-to-school season, they did not have a traditional return-to-school last year,” Brommers continued. “Our mantra internally has been that school hallways will be the runway this fall. But there’s no doubt that digital commerce has been a winner through the pandemic. The strength of that channel is also here to stay. Don’t think for a moment that interesting, engaging digital experiences are going away. Consumers are toggling back and forth between that physical and digital world constantly.”

McLaughlin said he’s eager to reenter the world of IRL socializing.

“That’s what this campaign represents,” he said, describing the shoot that took place in a Southern California desert over the summer. “It’s just about being with friends and just being together, because we’ve been away for so long. I got to work with a few of my peers in the industry and I had a great time doing it.

“And fashion has always been an important thing in my life,” McLaughlin added. “I wanted to share that with people.”

As for what shoppers are buying, Brommers called the current shopping season a “denim palooza,” with multiple silhouettes in vogue, from mom jeans to flares to boyfriend styles, so much so that the company is launching “jeans bars” in stores to help navigate the array of options. (McLaughlin is a fan of the Airflex athletic skinny jeans.) There’s also lots of bright colors and ’90s-inspired finds.

“The ‘Future Together, Jeans Are Forever’ campaign symbolizes our mission to inspire positivity for our customer and this influential cast is perfect in creating an emotional connection that comes with togetherness,” said Jennifer Foyle, president, executive creative director of American Eagle and Aerie. “At AE, our purpose is to celebrate individuality and the freedom to be your truly unique self. This season, we are inspired by the excitement of the back-to-school season and have an amazing collection of new jeans silhouettes and tops for the perfect outfit.”

American Eagle Unveils ‘Future Together. Jeans Forever’ Celebrating The Timelessness Of Jeans, Optimism And Togetherness

Featuring Addison Rae, Caleb McLaughlin, Chase Stokes, Jenna Ortega, and Madison Bailey, the Back-to-School 2021 Campaign also Highlights the Evolution of the Virtual Shopping Experience

07.28.21 NEW YORK – (BUSINESS WIRE) – American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) announced today the launch of the American Eagle (AE) brand’s Back-to-School (BTS) ‘21 ‘Future Together. Jeans Forever’ campaign, aimed at getting people excited to show off new styles as they head back into the world together. Actors Caleb McLaughlin and Jenna Ortega join AE’s current headliners Addison Rae, Chase Stokes and Madison Bailey, for a cast that represents authenticity and optimism. New fashion trends coupled with innovative designs, fits, and fabrics inspire customers to make a statement in their AE Jeans.  This back-to-school season, AE will continue to lead the industry through innovative virtual shopping experiences with partners Snapchat and Bitmoji to connect with customers through augmented reality and digital expression.

“As we celebrate the excitement of being back together, American Eagle’s ‘Future Together. Jeans Forever’ campaign symbolizes the brand’s continued mission to inspire positivity and support our customer’s freedom to be their truly unique self,” said Jennifer Foyle, President – Executive Creative Director, AE & Aerie. “We cannot wait to share our new denim styles—like high-waisted flare and baggy Mom jeans for her, and the continual comfort and flexibility of Athletic and Airflex for him—plus we have an amazing assortment of hoodies, baby polo tees, and flannels for versatile outfitting. This season, we are inspired by the optimism of young people as they head back to school and use their hallways as fashion runways.”

Innovative Virtual Shopping Experiences

  • AE, in partnership with Snapchat, is launching the Dress Yourself augmented reality experience.  A first-of-its-kind experience, users are now able to try on and shop selected looks from the AE Back-to-School Collection in augmented reality using the self-facing camera.
  • Together with Bitmoji, AE is introducing its first-ever digital clothing line with the help of its back-to-school cast. Users worldwide can check out Addison, Chase, Caleb, Jenna and Madison’s individual Bitmoji avatars, outfitted in campaign looks, and dress their own Bitmoji in the AE x Bitmoji Collection on Snapchat and the Bitmoji app.

About the Future Together. Jeans Forever campaign

  • The campaign continues the brand’s relationship with actress and creator Addison Rae, actor Chase Stokes, and actress Madison Bailey who are at the heart of youth culture and welcomes actor Caleb McLaughlin and actress Jenna Ortega to collectively exemplify the integrity and truth of today’s generation. The campaign’s imagery and video portray the excitement of getting back out there and being together.
  • The value, comfort, and fit of AE jeans are captured by the cast within the campaign, furthering the brand’s momentum as a leader in jeans, while also emphasizing AE’s fashion assortment and its position as a style destination.
  • This season further continues the brand’s mission to connect with customers wherever they are digitally through virtual shopping experiences and innovative partnerships with Snap and Bitmoji.

Fave Fits

  • AE is all about helping its customer find their favorite fits; back-to-school faves include:
    • For him, the new Airflex+ Athletic Skinny, 360 Skinny, Temp Tech Athletic Skinny and 360 Slim offer continual flexibility and comfort. Classic cotton hoodies, hooded flannels and graphic tees provide him with versatile outfitting options.
    • For her, a range of fashion jeans including an updated take on the classic pleated tennis skirt and the ultra-high rise relaxed Mom short, along with an array of new comfort styles ranging from the Mom Straight and Super High-Waisted Flare to the Lu(x)e Super High-Waisted Jegging, Highest Waist 90s Boyfriend, and Baggy Mom that all pair with the new assortment of smocked woven tops and polo baby tees.
    • The new denim collections for him and her feature the Real Good badge noting the style is made with the environment in mind and manufactured in a facility that meets AEO Inc.’s standards for water recycling and reduction.

To celebrate the launch of the campaign, the cast will host a conversation on Clubhouse tonight, July 28, at 7PM EST here.

About American Eagle

Since 1977, American Eagle has offered an assortment of specialty apparel and accessories for men and women that enables self-expression and empowers our customers to celebrate their individuality. The brand has broadened its leadership in jeans by producing innovative fabric with options for all styles and fits for all at a value. We aren’t just passionate about making great clothing, we’re passionate about making real connections with the people who wear them. Visit www.ae.com to find your perfect pair of #AEJeans.

About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices under its American Eagle® and Aerie® brands. Our purpose is to show the world that there’s REAL power in the optimism of youth. The company operates stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong, and ships to 81 countries worldwide through its websites. American Eagle and Aerie merchandise also is available at more than 200 international locations operated by licensees in 25 countries. For more information, please visit www.aeo-inc.com.

AdAge: How American Eagle is Tapping Into Teen Trends for Back-to-School

Clothier will have a digital clothing line with Bitmoji

By Adrianne Pasquarelli / Link to article

This back-to-school season is one for the books. After a year in which few children were in actual classrooms, most of America is returning to in-person learning this fall and brands are ready. Retail experts expect record consumer spending and many marketers have said they will be investing more in advertising and running campaigns earlier and longer than ever before.

American Eagle Outfitters is joining the push with the debut of its back-to-school campaign this week. A 30-second spot, “Future Together. Jeans are Forever” celebrates the reunion of friends as they gather together for the start of the school year.  The spot includes actors Caleb McLaughlin and Jenna Ortega alongside influencers such as Addison Rae and Chase Stokes.

“Back to school is not a ‘defined’ season anymore—it’s the emotional kick-off of a really fun return to the real world,” says Craig Brommers, chief marketing officer of American Eagle, speaking on the latest episode of the “Marketer’s Brief” podcast.

In addition to the video, American Eagle will be targeting teen shoppers with several new ventures. The brand is offering an augmented reality try-on experience with Snapchat. It is also creating a digital clothing line with Bitmoji where consumers can create their own Bitmoji looks.

“These digital experiences that American Eagle has created over the last couple months are not just creating brand love—they’re truly leading to healthy commercial returns,” says Brommers, noting that this is the chain’s third collaboration with Snapchat. A winter holiday season virtual shopping experience brought in $2 million in revenue.

“It reinforces one thing that we have learned during this difficult period in our industry—when you create an engaging experience for that younger Gen Z audience, they love it, they jump into it,” he says, noting the inherent shareability of the content shoppers are creating.

Such initiatives are paying off for the retailer, which reported record first-quarter sales earlier this year. Revenue for the quarter was $1 billion, roughly double that of the year-earlier period; the company said digital revenue increased 57% over the first quarter of 2019.

In the podcast, Brommers touches on other retail trends beyond social commerce, including how the chain is preparing for the coming holiday season and how teens are thinking about brick-and-mortar shopping.

South China Morning Post: Amid online shopping’s rise, American Eagle flagship store opens in Hong Kong – the brand’s Andrew McLean explains why, and weighs in on mom jeans vs skinny jeans

  • The US outfitter has at last opened a Hong Kong flagship store, in Central where Gap used to be. Its chief commercial officer explains the brand’s strategy
  • He also talks about why skinny jeans aren’t dead just yet, and how sister brand Aerie – the antithesis of Victoria’s Secret – has tapped into body positivity

By Vincenzo Del Torre / Link to article

American Eagle, the denim and casual wear brand whose clothes have become a staple in the wardrobes of teenagers and millennials around the world, has been operating in Hong Kong for a decade.

The US outfitter counts 10 stores and one outlet store in the city, but it was only in June of this year that it was able to open a flagship store that truly reflects its thriving business in Hong Kong.

In the prime retail district of Central on Hong Kong Island, the 17,000 sq ft (1,580 square metre), three-storey shop – which previously housed the flagship store of US retailer Gap – has one floor devoted to American Eagle’s sister brand Aerie – a runaway success thanks to its affordable, comfortable and inclusive women’s apparel.

That it took American Eagle 10 years to open a flagship in Hong Kong reflects the vagaries of the city’s commercial real estate market, which until recently was the most expensive in the world.

The interior of the American Eagle store in Central.

The coronavirus pandemic and the months of social unrest which preceded it have changed Hong Kong’s retail scene significantly, allowing brands such as Decathlon, Brandy Melville and now American Eagle to explore previously untapped locations that used to be prohibitively expensive or the sole purview of luxury brands.

“It’s been hard to get the real estate we wanted because it’s been so expensive for so many years,” says Andrew McLean, chief commercial officer at ‎American Eagle. “But, as we’ve built our brand, there’s been a virtuous circle and the landlords have seen that we wanted to invest in the community and build a relationship. So, when Gap came out of the market in Central, we took the opportunity to move there.”

McLean adds that as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong customers have also embraced online shopping, an area on which American Eagle is focusing to provide a complete “omnichannel experience”, as McLean puts it.

South China Morning Post: Amid online shopping’s rise, American Eagle flagship store opens in Hong Kong – the brand’s Andrew McLean explains why, and weighs in on mom jeans vs skinny jeans – AEO Inc.

“When you start to describe your assortment as cosy and comfortable, which is what customers began to invest in over the last 15 months, convenience became the next part of the equation, so customers began to lean towards online shopping,” he says.

The opening of the Central flagship store, however, speaks to the company’s commitment to bricks-and-mortar retail at a time when many brands, especially in advanced markets such as the United States, are shifting their focus to online channels.

Looks from the American Eagle summer 2021 collection.

“If you give customers a very flat, two-dimensional store experience, they’re going to migrate online but if you give them engaging service models and the ability to try and feel the products, you’re giving them more options and encouraging a different shopping pattern,” says McLean.

“In the past, you either were an online shopper or a bricks-and-mortar shopper but now it’s just one omnichannel experience. Winning in retail is putting the customer first and giving them the best experience. I don’t think Hong Kong is any different than any other leading city in the world in terms of how the customer interacts with the brand.”

The US is American Eagle’s main market but the company has a global network spanning South America, the Middle East and Asia, where it has physical stores in Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines and India. In China, the brand only operates on Tmall, the marketplace owned by retail giant Alibaba, which is the owner of the South China Morning Post.

The Central store features an entire floor devoted to American Eagle’s sister brand Aerie.

“For now, we’re focusing online in China but my hope is that within the next two to three years we will open bricks-and-mortar stores,” says McLean. “I don’t want to get it wrong and China is only going to get stronger. ‘Measure twice, cut once’ is how we’re approaching China.”

McLean believes that the Hong Kong flagship store will open the doors to neighbouring markets, and reveals that he’s already been approached by potential partners in Singapore after they saw the buzz created by the opening.

As a brand known for its denim, American Eagle has had to deal with the shift to more comfortable and looser styles that Gen Z and millennials have gravitated towards during the pandemic, something that is here to stay if the constant growth of  loungewear and performance wear is any indication.

McLean believes that the Hong Kong flagship store will open the doors to neighbouring markets.

“The big thing going on, also in Hong Kong, is a move from a tight leg to a loose leg,” says McLean. “The customer has been embracing flare and ‘mom’ jeans. That was happening before the pandemic and coming out of it, even more. I don’t think it’s thanks to increasing waistlines, but just that customers have leaned into comfort and fashion and are replacing their wardrobes.”

It’s hard not to ask McLean about the supposed demise of skinny jeans that became a topic of contention on TikTok earlier this year after Gen Z users began posting videos attacking skinny jeans as an outdated remnant of millennial fashion.

“The truth of the matter is that we still sell a tonne of skinny jeans,” says McLean. “There’s still a customer who wears jeggings and wears them like leggings. Our jeans are stretchy and very comfortable and fit with different lifestyles, and are an elevated product for their price point.”

Aerie is the antithesis of the sexy image championed by brands such as Victoria’s Secret.

Speaking of Gen Z, Aerie has been a success story among younger female consumers, also in Hong Kong, where after just a few weeks the response has been very positive, according to McLean.

“It’s a movement – absolutely incredible, completely home-grown – about body positivity and being beautiful inside and out, letting the real you shine,” says McLean. “It’s all about you feeling good about the clothes you’re wearing. We haven’t retouched models since 2014 and the marketing is fantastic, an expression of sheer joy, and the enthusiasm comes through from everyone who works for the brand, from the designers to the store team.”

Aerie’s image is the antithesis of the sexy look championed by brands such as Victoria’s Secret, which in recent months has gone through its own revamp to align with young consumers’ changing demands about brands and what they stand for.

American Eagle has had to deal with the shift to more comfortable and looser styles that Gen Z and millennials have gravitated towards during the pandemic.

This is an especially fraught issue these days – even more so for companies that have to contend with different demographics and cultures, and need to be mindful when espousing causes that can be sensitive in countries like China, for instance.

McLean says: “You have to believe in your brand first and foremost. You put the customer first, wrap the brand around the consumer and that’s the conversation you’re having with them and leave the politics aside.

“What made American Eagle so successful and will make Aerie successful in Hong Kong is that we have a whole team of people there running the brand and there’s an authenticity that the customer picks up on.”

Rather than politics, the brand prefers to support causes that everyone can lean into, such as sustainability, by reducing the amount of water wasted in the making of denim.

Sunday Independent: American Eagle Swoops into Jervis Centre

American Eagle Outfitters is due to open its first Irish store in Dublin next month

By Sean Pollock / Link to article

American Eagle Outfitters, a US-headquartered fashion brand and retailer, is about to open its first store in Ireland at Dublin’s Jervis Shopping Centre.

According to a job post on global recruitment website Indeed, American Eagle Outfitters is seeking staff for the store.The American Eagle store is set to open in the Jervis Shopping Centre next month, with a further store planned at Whitewater Newbridge, Co Kildare.

American Eagle Outfitters is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a valuation of around $5.8bn. The European subsidiary of American Eagle Outfitters, AEOEU Ltd, has an office address in Dundrum, Co Dublin.

In response to the Sunday Independent, Nish Soneji, chief executive officer of AEOEU, said the Irish company is the exclusive master licensee for American Eagle and Aerie for Europe.

“We are proud to be opening the first American Eagle store at the Jervis Centre in Dublin, closely followed by the second store at Whitewater Newbridge Co Kildare in September 2021 with further stores rolling out across Ireland, UK and mainland Europe in 2021 and 2022.”

Andrew McLean, chief commercial officer of American Eagle Outfitters, said: “We are excited to bring our leading American Eagle brand to Dublin through our license agreement with AEOEU. Customer demand for AE product, including our signature jeans, is high across the continent. This store represents a great way to meet local customers as we continue our expansion throughout Europe.”

In 2019, American Eagle Outfitters, announced plans to expand its American Eagle and Aerie lingerie brands throughout Europe with a multi-year licence agreement with AEOEU. It said the first stores were expected to open in Ireland that summer.

Following the opening of the locations, the American Eagle announcement said an e-commerce site would serve the EU. It also had a three-year brick and mortar expansion strategy for several European countries.

American Eagle operates stores in the US, Canada, Mexico  and Hong Kong, and ships to 81 countries worldwide through its websites. Its merchandise is also available at more than 200 international locations operated by licensees in 33 countries.

According to its most recent set of quarterly results, first quarter revenue hit an all-time high of $1.03bn.

WWD: It Gets Better Project and American Eagle Outfitters to Launch Two New Programs

The It Gets Better Project was started in 2010 by syndicated columnist Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller.

By Rosemary Feitelberg | Link to article

The It Gets Better Project and American Eagle Outfitters Inc. and its American Eagle and Aerie brands have raised $1.18 million for the LGBTQ youth community through this year’s Pride partnership.

Syndicated columnist Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller started the It Gets Better Project in 2010 to offer hope and support to LGBTQ youths. They created an international movement and social media campaign with 70,000-plus people sharing their it-gets-better stories. The nonprofit now reaches millions of young people through media programming, educational resources, affiliates in 20 countries and the U.S. and access to community-based providers.

The goal of the It Gets Better Project is a world where all LGBTQ youth live equally and know their worthiness and power. LGBTQ students are more likely to experience victimization, violence and suicide than their peers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2019 “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance” results.

This year, American Eagle Outfitters donated $50,000 and offered additional support through the American Eagle and Aerie Real Rewards loyalty program and an in-store pin pad promotion. Consumers could also purchase exclusive Pride collections at American Eagle and Aerie.

The money that has been raised will be used to roll out two projects this fall. The first will be part of It Gets Better Edu, an education program that was launched by American Eagle as part of the 2019 Pride partnership with It Gets Better. That year more than 3,000 students took part in It Gets Better Edu programming, and 750 educators were trained how to use It Gets Better stories in their classrooms.

The second American Eagle Outfitters-supported initiative will unite the It Gets Better Project with young leaders in dozens of communities across the country to honor the LGBTQ experience. More specifics about both projects will be shared on the organization’s site in the coming months.

The It Gets Better Project team worked with the retailer to create a “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”-inspired content-driven series to celebrate diversity and body positivity. (The title refers to the 2001 bestselling series of young adult novels that focus on four girls who acquire a pair of jeans that fit all four of them perfectly even though they are different sizes. It was turned into a film series starring Blake Lively and others.) The video series included styling suggestions for the American Eagle Pride collection beyond gender binary. That was featured across the brand’s Instagram and TikTok channels.

American Eagle Outfitters teamed up with the It Gets Better Project in 2017, and the company has subsequently generated more than $3 million for the organization. That tally has made the company the largest donor in the group’s history. Given that, a video was developed to document how the two parties have worked together in the past five years. That aired as part of the second annual “It Gets Better: A Digital Pride Experience.”

American Eagle Outfitters and the two brands’ Pride efforts have included limited-edition apparel, participation in Pride marches in the U.S. and Mexico and other opportunities for shoppers and employees. American Eagle Outfitters became the nonprofit’s first legacy partner two years ago.

Check out the below video for a look inside this special partnership.