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Executives indicated more investment will flow toward tactics like digital and influencer marketing as the retailer tries to drive conversions.
Published May 29, 2026
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American Eagle Outfitters’ namesake brand is rejiggering some of its marketing strategy toward performance following a quarter that saw comparable sales, an important measure of retailer health, decline 2% year over year. The slide at American Eagle stands in sharp contrast with sister brand Aerie, which grew comparable sales 25% for the spring period ended May 2, hitting a new record for the intimates and loungewear-focused business, according to an earnings statement.
Ad campaigns for American Eagle have centered heavily on celebrity collaborations, including through controversy-stirring work with Sydney Sweeney. The partnership with the “Euphoria” actor last year helped draw new customers to the brand while Sweeney’s signature denim items flew off of shelves. Sweeney returned in American Eagle’s spring-summer 2026 campaign to promote jean shorts. It’s too early to gauge the full impact of the latest Sweeney-led marketing push, which went live mid-April, but larger changes seem underway at American Eagle to respark growth heading into the critical back-to-school shopping window. Women’s bottoms were the primary culprit for sales declines at American Eagle in Q1, according to executives.
“While results at American Eagle were mixed, our teams are moving decisively to reignite the women’s business and strengthen product execution and brand positioning,” said Jay Schottenstein, CEO of parent AEO, in a press statement attached to the earnings.
The apparel maker has other tie-ups it hopes will generate buzz with coveted Gen Z customers. Executives on the earnings call pointed to American Eagle’s sponsorship of the Stagecoach country music festival, which is supported by young artists like Ella Langley and Bailey Zimmerman, as a bright spot. But in a broad sense, American Eagle appears to be gear-shifting tactics heading into the second half of the year as it tries to tie marketing more closely to conversions.
“The back half spend is more weighted toward digital media, performance marketing, influencer spend, more day-to-day traffic-driving elements,” said AEO CFO Michael Mathias on the call with investors. “We are rebalancing how those dollars will be spent, starting really in the third quarter, which we feel is going to set us up for success and be able to hit the revenue expectations that we have for ourselves in the back half.”
Both American Eagle and Aerie have revamped their influencer marketing programs this year. American Eagle in February unveiled the AE Creator Community, which offers rewards for participating in weekly and monthly challenges, like posting styling videos, to build relationships with content creators that extend beyond one-off activations. Aerie’s Realmakers Community, which rolled out in April, bears some similarities and was created with brand advocacy platform Duel.
AEO’s moves align with a larger trend where retailers have introduced more gamified, always-on creator programs that extend beyond traditional affiliate structures to recognize the high volume of video content needed to stand out on algorithmically driven feeds. In addition, retailers are eager to tap into the social commerce opportunity as marketplaces like TikTok Shop gain traction with U.S. consumers. American Eagle recently launched a dedicated TikTok Shop page.
American Eagle said both of its new influencer programs are exceeding internal expectations, with Aerie blowing past its six-month targets in a few weeks’ time. The company also teased a strategic hire to level up influencer marketing on the American Eagle side of the business, but did not offer specifics on the earnings call.
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