American Eagle’s shares soar as Sydney Sweeney boosts sales

Shares of fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitter have jumped after the company said that its tie-ups with celebrities Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce are expected to drive strong sales between July and September.

The US firm’s stocks surged 25% in late trading on Wednesday as American Eagle boss Jay Schottenstein said its second-quarter performance “exceeded expectations“, boosted by the success of its ad campaigns.

American Eagle made headlines with its divisive “Great Jeans” ad for its denim line featuring Sweeney, sparking a debate over race and beauty standards.

The firm also ran a clothing series with athlete Kelce, days after news broke of his engagement to popstar Taylor Swift.

The fall season is off to a positive start, said Mr Schottenstein.

“Fuelled by stronger product offerings and the success of recent marketing campaigns with Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce, we have seen an uptick in customer awareness, engagement and comparable sales.”

The Emmy-nominated actress, of Euphoria fame, appears in a jeans advertisement where she says: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”

The commercial drew intrigue and offence. American Eagle has defended the advert, saying it is referring only to the company’s denim jeans.

The controversy even made it to the White House, with President Donald Trump chiming in to support the actress.

“Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Monday. “Go get ’em Sydney!”