Recently, an advertisement battle between clothing brands The GAP (collaborating with Katseye) and American Eagle (collaborating with Sydney Sweeney) captured the attention of consumers worldwide, sparking debates over brand identity and pop cultural relevance. In the end, whose ad made more money for their respective company?
On July 23, 2025, American Eagle launched their new line of jeans in a collaboration with actress Sydney Sweeney titled, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The advertisement’s claim caused many to assume American Eagle was talking about genes rather than the jeans that were supposed to be promoted. The ad received tons of criticism from the internet for its controversial nature, because Sweeney, who has blonde hair and blue eyes, was portrayed, disappointing many American Eagle customers with its supremacist undertones.
Sophomore Chloe Jones stated, “The American Eagle ad was a little too scandalous.”
Katseye, a diverse group of pop music girls, launched an ad with The GAP on August 19, 2025, dancing to the song “Milkshake” by Kelis, not even a month after the American Eagle ad. All six members, Manon, Sophia, Daniela, Lara, Megan and Yoonchae, were seen sporting The GAP’s new line of denim in the advertisement titled, “Better in Denim.”
The dance got tons of love and praise from the internet and became a huge trend with people learning it themselves. The ad was even used in advertising classes across the country as an example of a successful media approach, as they showed how easy it was to move in the jeans. Now, Katseye and The GAP are getting more attention than ever.
Senior Emma Detrick stated, “After it went viral on TikTok, I’ve noticed more people wearing The GAP clothes around the school.”
The two advertisements started to be compared as people said The GAP’s ad was a slap in the face to the American Eagle ad. This caused Sweeney to receive attacks for her involvement in the ad, and caused some to even consider boycotting American Eagle as a whole.
Sophomore Noah Jahn stated, “I think it was a mistake for American Eagle to use Sydney Sweeney for their ad in general.”
As media attention died down, the public’s main focus shifted to sales. American Eagle’s ad made roughly $400 million sales in around three months. The GAP, on the other hand, made $3.7 billion in sales after the ad came out in just two short months, showing over a $3 billion difference in sales.
The sales of both The GAP and American Eagle reveal that the key elements the media looks for in promotions are positive female representation and engagement. These apparent online trends work to shape the future of fashion and pop culture.
