Ever since Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss teamed up in 1873 to patent the first pair of riveted jeans, denim has had a unique stronghold over popular culture. Whether embraced as durable workwear for manual laborers during the Gold Rush, used as costuming in Old Hollywood films like The Wild One and Rebel Without A Cause, or reimagined as a red carpet-ready material à la Britney and Justin or Zac Posen for Gap, the fabrication has consistently proven its appeal to the masses throughout history. With such distinctive public intrigue, it wasn’t long before brands began taking advantage of it in their marketing, resulting in not just some of the most iconic campaigns in denim’s history, but in the broader fashion marketing landscape, too.
While Levi Strauss & Co.’s “Right for School” campaign in 1949 is widely recognized for being one of the earliest lifestyle campaigns spotlighting the material, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the category truly picked up steam in the marketing world. In 1973, Italian denim brand Jesus Jeans introduced one of the first intentionally provocative campaigns, featuring a pair of high-cut, cheek-baring denim shorts with the phrase “Chi mi ama mi segua,” translated in English to “He who loves me follows me.” The figuratively and literally cheeky ad was banned in several countries for its skin-baring presentation and religious undertones, but still managed to make a splash amongst consumers, opening the floodgates for what would be many decades of purposefully controversial denim advertisements.
“That controversy is good has always been true, way before social media,” Silvia Bellezza, associate professor of business in marketing at Columbia Business School, tells TZR. “An old marketing adage holds that what matters is not what people say about you, but that they talk about you at all.”
In 1980, Calvin Klein brought that marketing method to America with its infamous TV spot featuring a 15-year-old Brooke Shields suggestively pulling on a pair of the label’s blue jeans. While the ad received plentiful backlash for sexualizing a minor, the vast media coverage of it ultimately worked out in Calvin Klein’s favor, boosting the company’s sales by 30% and immediately increasing brand awareness.
Fast forward to present day, and that same tactic is still used by modern denim advertisers — the most recent example being Sydney Sweeney’s polarizing American Eagle campaign in 2025. In the video — which heavily emulates the laid-back, overly casual, and conversational essence of Shields’ — the actor talks about why she loves her AE denim so much, with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” plastered across the screen concluding the clip. Following its initial airtime, the public had mixed reactions. Some interpreted the double entendre (“genes” and “jeans”) as suggesting blonde hair and blue eyes to be the genetic standard. But the brand denied that claim, saying it was merely about wearing AE jeans with confidence. But even with those negative reactions across social media, CMO at American Eagle Craig Brommers tells TZR that the company “saw that attention immediately translate into product demand,” specifically referencing its Sydney Sweeney Cinched Waist Denim jacket selling out in one day, and Sydney Jean selling out in a week.
“Any time you work with someone who’s culturally relevant, there’s going to be conversation,” explains Brommers. “What matters to us is that anyone we work with brings authenticity, confidence, work ethic, and a point of view that aligns with our brand. We learned that, in these moments, it’s important to listen to our customers and the data, and not the noise of social media. We work with those who genuinely represent the confidence, authenticity, and optimism of our consumer and brand.”
While driving sales with ads is the main objective for most brands, relevance and social media “noise” can be just as much of a goal in the conceptualization process. “Brand managers think first of sales; creatives, of cultural resonance,” says Bellezza. Take Gap’s recent slew of viral commercials, for example. With its 2025 “Better in Denim” ad — featuring girl group Katseye dancing to Kelis’ “Milkshake” in a variety of denim ensembles — Gap not only saw a 7% jump in sales from its previous quarter, but also earned the brand significant clout online. The choreographed video has generated 89 million views on YouTube alone, and over eight billion media impressions overall.
“Our goal is to drive cultural relevancy, which happens when we connect our product to culture through sound, style, movement, and self-expression,” Fabiola Torres, Gap’s Global CMO, shares with TZR. “Rather than chasing scale alone, we are focused on reinforcing Gap’s iconic product, authentic storytelling, and creativity. We, of course, measure our campaigns across typical metrics like engagement and reach alongside business results, but having a real-time feedback loop with our customers through social media has been the biggest opportunity for understanding how our strategy is really resonating.”
The reception to Gap’s music-and-fashion-blending Katseye ad was so strong that the company has continued to build on that theme with its most recent adaptations. “We’ve stayed true to our creative formula while also pushing ourselves to think bigger, like inviting Malcolm Todd to reinterpret Robyn’s ‘Dancing On My Own’ or co-creating a music video alongside Young Miko,” says Torres.
Music has always had influence in the fashion world — and vice versa. In 1996, Tommy Jeans called upon Aaliyah to model its baggy, low-rise styles, helping to merge the hip-hop audience with the Tommy Hilfiger shopper. In 2015, Levi’s launched its #LiveInLevis campaign starring sister band Haim, while Ralph Lauren tapped Tinashe and Cody Simpson to sport its designs in a series of images. In the last few years, A-listers like Madonna, Beyoncé, and Rosé of Blackpink have all fronted their own individual denim ads. More so than any other product category, denim campaigns have become a rite of passage to become a true pop culture figurehead.
“Denim has an extraordinary place in American culture. It’s connected to music, film, art, youth movements, and the way each generation expresses itself. It’s also deeply personal,” says Brommers. “The most iconic denim campaigns throughout history understood [denim’s impact] and captured an attitude people wanted to be part of.”
But how does a brand determine the right talent for its audience? “We look for [someone] who has a meaningful connection with our customer and the potential to help define where culture goes next,” explains Brommers. “One of [AE’s] strengths is identifying that connection early, when there’s real excitement around someone and an opportunity to build something together.” For its latest attention-grabbing campaign, AE called upon emerging country artist Ella Langley: “With Ella, we saw an artist with a distinct point of view and a growing connection with young women, alongside real momentum in country music among Gen Z…Each partner brings a different story, style, and audience to AE. The consistency comes from the product and what the brand stands for, while the talent and culture keep opening up new possibilities.”
For Gap, bridging the … well, gap … between generations is particularly key to its campaign success. “Self-expression and creativity are universal, so no matter which audience we’re speaking to, we strive to find ways to resonate across ages and cultures,” says Torres. “Like combining Katseye, a group well known to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with the song ‘Milkshake,’ which is beloved by a Millennial audience. Ultimately, style and music are our cultural connectors.”
Courtesy of Gap
Beyond calling upon the most notable names in media, however, these campaigns — at their core — connect with consumers because of the merchandise. “Denim is like the burger of food, an iconic product that has been around for decades and that continues to inspire in multiple variations,” as Bellezza puts it. Torres agrees: “Great marketing always begins with great product. Denim is timeless, but we work hand-in-hand with our incredible design team, who are always monitoring new trends, from the runway to street style, and stay close to what newness our customer is asking for in the category.” She continues, “Denim transcends categories, occasions, genders and generations… It’s versatile, recognizable, and personal enough for anyone, of any age, to style and make their own.”
Regardless of controversy, social media clicks, or famous faces, what fundamentally makes denim campaigns so special and especially effective for people is how deeply personal the denim experience is overall. “People remember shopping for their first pair of jeans or the confidence they felt when they found a fit that seemed made for them,” says Brommers. “That gives denim an emotional connection that very few products have.”
“At the end of the day, no matter the campaign, it comes down to the importance of a great product, a clear point of view, and emotional storytelling,” he continues. “The brands that win today are the ones that make people feel something.”
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