American Eagle Highlights BTS Denim in NYC
New York Fashion is over but American Eagle (AE) is keeping denim in the city’s spotlight.
On Sept. 16-17, the retailer will celebrate back-to-school season with OMJeans, an immersive and shoppable installation on the High Line.
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Starting at the elevated public park’s 14th Street passage, AE will display an array of mannequins featuring hundreds of men’s and women’s denim styles to showcase its range. Consumers can buy jeans on the spot through QR codes. There will also be dedicated areas for consumers to sign up for AE’s Real Rewards Credit Card, the retailer’s private credit offering that allows holders to earn points per $1 spent and double points on jeans.
Building on AE’s back-to-school campaign, OMJeans will offer several creative photo opportunities that integrate denim into the High Line’s landscape. Denim loungers designed to look like the back pocket of a pair of AE jeans will fill the route and denim-clad mannequins will congregate at the 10th Avenue Amphitheater for an Instagrammable display.
A special musical performance by a surprise guest will take place on Sept. 16 at 4:30 PM.
Following the event, AE will recycle all used denim with Cotton Incorporated’s Blue Jeans Go Green program, which will be transformed into insulation for Habitat for Humanity and other applications.
“Our vision for this innovative installation is to show up where millions of people experience the city, bringing to life the heritage and timelessness of AE jeans,” said Jennifer Foyle, president and executive creative director of AE and Aerie.
The event will be supported by videos across AE’s social, as well as marketing on the subway and a 3D billboard in Times Square, which shows jeans styles that “jump out of the ad and dance for the crowd,” AE said.
American Eagle teamed with former “Dance Moms” stars Maddie and Kenzie Ziegler on a back-to-school collection released in July. In the company’s recent quarterly earnings call, Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman and CEO, said business picked up in June across channels with strength sustaining until July as AE rolled out early back-to-school collections.
