- Web Desk
- Yesterday
Better than Sydney Sweeney? all about jeans war of 2025
-
- Web Desk
- 3 Hours ago
WEB DESK: For many denim lovers who take a yearly pilgrimage to Zainab Market in Karachi to to buy affordable and reliable jeans, both GAP and American Eagle are not some novel brands, rather there are too many which are sent from the port city for a transatlantic tour. Or maybe Fayyaz Garments for Islamabadis, but the global North has currently erupted in a ‘Jeans War’, thanks to an American Eagle ad featuring actor Sydney Sweeney. GAP was quick to respond with a fresh take of Kelis’ 2003 famed song ‘Milkshake’.
But it’s not just about denim. It’s the cultural battle nobody saw coming, a marketing mishap that spiraled into a full-blown Jeans War.
How It Started: Sydney Sweeney and the “Great Jeans” Ad
The saga began when American Eagle tapped Sydney Sweeney, fresh off Euphoria fame, for its summer campaign. In the spot, she gushed about her “great jeans”, with a cheeky play on genes.
On its own, harmless enough. But paired with Sweeney’s blonde hair, blue eyes, and “all-American” image, critics argued the pun carried an uncomfortable echo of eugenics. What was supposed to be flirty and light suddenly looked tone-deaf.
The internet exploded. Progressives accused American Eagle of flirting with regressive tropes, while conservatives like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz hailed it as bold, “anti-woke” marketing.
AE doubled down, insisting the ad was misunderstood. Its stock briefly jumped, but foot traffic soon sank.
Shein gains UK approval for London IPO, awaits China nod, sources say
Even retail icon Mickey Drexler, former Gap and J.Crew CEO, weighed in: “They should have said, ‘I screwed up. We learned the lesson.’ They went silent. That created more news.”
Gap’s counterpunch: “Better in Denim”
Enter Gap. Smelling blood, and opportunity of course, the brand rolled out its Better in Denim campaign featuring Katseye, a newly minted global pop group with members from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, and the U.S.
Instead of subtle wordplay, Gap went all in on inclusivity. Katseye danced through city streets to Kelis’ Milkshake, flashing choreography and confidence. The message was clear: denim is for everyone.
The internet quickly dubbed it a clapback. TikTok flooded with Katseye dance recreations, and fans cheered the contrast: “American Eagle needs to take notes.”
The denim battlefield
The fallout has been swift — and messy:
- American Eagle is clinging to its campaign, cheered by conservatives but stuck with dwindling sales.
- GAP is enjoying viral momentum but also attracting criticism from culture warriors who dismiss it as “woke marketing.”
- Competitors aren’t sitting out: Levi’s signed Beyoncé, Lucky Jeans partnered with Addison Rae, and suddenly, every brand wants a piece of the denim spotlight.
Why it matters
The “Jeans War of 2025” is more than a meme. It shows how fashion campaigns now double as cultural flashpoints, where brands aren’t just selling clothes but values.
A pun about “jeans” and “genes” snowballed into a referendum on who defines American style, and whose image gets to sell it. Or as one viral commenter put it: “We survived Y2K, skinny jeans, and low-rise comebacks. But the great denim wars of 2025? Iconic.”
You May Also Like
