Summary:
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The Gap’s new denim campaign with Katseye contrasts American Eagle’s controversial ad, sparking praise for nostalgia and talent.
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American Eagle’s criticized campaign with Sydney Sweeney faced backlash for tone and messaging, leading to its deletion.
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Gap’s fall 2025 “Better in Denim” ad celebrates Katseye’s choreography and style, emphasizing timing and talent in marketing.
Gap is throwing it back to the Y2K era with its latest denim campaign—and the timing couldn’t feel more pointed. The new “Better in Denim” ad starring global girl group Katseye arrives just weeks after Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle spot, a campaign that set off a firestorm of criticism and raised questions about how brands approach nostalgia and sex appeal in fashion.
KATSEYE devours choreography for their new GAP campaign. (@katseyeworld) pic.twitter.com/4AeNNB7i0k
— Pop Core (@TheePopCore) August 19, 2025
In early August, American Eagle rolled out its “Good Gens” campaign with Sweeney as its centerpiece. One clip in particular showed the Euphoria star staring into the camera and whispering: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The monologue, which played on the word “genes,” was quickly criticized for evoking eugenics, a discredited ideology historically linked to white supremacy. The campaign drew further scrutiny for hypersexualizing Sweeney while claiming to raise awareness for domestic violence, with 100% of proceeds promised to mental health nonprofit Crisis Text Line.
Some viewers saw it as tone-deaf in a political moment when the Trump administration has cut diversity programs and targeted immigrants. Others compared the spot to Brooke Shields’ infamous 1980 Calvin Klein campaign, which critics at the time condemned for sexualizing a 15-year-old.
Reactions split along cultural lines: some argued the outrage was valid, others dismissed it as an overreaction. NPR’s Sarah Banet-Weiser noted that the controversy illustrates how “the profitability of anger and profitability of hate” shapes the attention economy.
American Eagle eventually deleted the video from its social channels. Still, she maintained in a statement that the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. [Sweeney’s] jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way”.
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Gap’s fall 2025 “Better in Denim” campaign takes a decidedly different approach. Directed by Bethany Vargas, with choreography by Robbie Blue, the ad reimagines Gap’s classic dance commercials with Katseye performing to Kelis’ 2003 hit “Milkshake.” The group—formed in 2023 through the Dream Academy reality competition—boasts more than 22 million followers and represents a global mix of members from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, and the U.S.
Chief marketing officer Fabiola Torres told Adweek: “We’ve been intentional about celebrating what’s happening now. And right now, that’s Katseye. They’re more than a pop group; they’re digital-native creators and emerging style leaders with a powerful, highly engaged fanbase”.
The campaign also promotes the return of Gap’s Long & Lean jeans, a 2000s favorite, and features a limited-edition Katseye hoodie set for pre-order this month. It will run across Gap’s global media channels, from Times Square billboards to influencer partnerships.
Where Sweeney’s “Good Gens” ad became a cautionary tale about missteps in tone and messaging, Gap’s spot is being received as a fresh revival of a beloved brand tradition. Early online responses praised the choreography, casting, and nostalgic soundtrack, noting that the campaign feels more celebratory than provocative.
For Gap, which has reported six straight quarters of sales growth under CEO Richard Dickson, the Katseye campaign suggests a lesson learned: when it comes to marketing denim, timing, tone, and talent choice can make the difference between backlash and buzz.
