AEO SKINNY SKINNY CAMPAIGN

At the height of the skinny jean trend, American Eagle saw any opportunity to play with its consumers’ expectations–and poke a little fun at itself in the process. Working alongside agency partners, we devised a campaign that promised the skinniest skinny jeans ever–so skinny they’re literally sprayed on. Landing a few weeks before April Fool’s Day, the joke product launch included ads, emails, social posts, Times Square billboards, and even fake PDP pages. All the details were thought out to play it 100% straight-faced, and it still amazes me how many people thought it was totally real. In the end, the campaign went viral–it even ended up on a number of morning shows–and the April Fool’s Day prank campaign has become something of a tradition at American Eagle ever since.