This summer, we witnessed what was probably the most iconic battle culture has ever seen. A battle of divas so earth-shattering, nothing will ever top it. That, my lovely readers, is what I like to call The Iconic Denim Ad War.
This summer, there were four top contenders for the denim ad wars, each vying to be the top diva. Our fighters this summer were:
- Beyoncé with Levi’s
- Sydney Sweeney with American Eagle
- KATSEYE with GAP
- Addison Rae with Lucky Brand
Now, you may be thinking: maybe you’ve only seen one of these ads, or none at all, or maybe you don’t have an opinion at all. I’m here to give you my opinion on which came out on top by taking a closer look at each ad and seeing what they do right… or horribly wrong.
beyoncé with levi’s
Titled The Denim Cowboy, this ad is a direct nod to Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning album Cowboy Carter, which she had recently finished touring by the time the ad dropped. Anyone who knows Beyoncé knows that her visuals and narrative storytelling never fail to deliver, and here is no exception. With the song “LEVII’S JEANS” from her album playing in the background, the first part shows Beyoncé entering a laundromat to wash her jeans, stripping out of them to do so.
Since the album itself didn’t have the strongest visuals, this ad offers a good glimpse into the world Beyoncé wants us to see. In the second half, she wears a full Canadian tuxedo on her way to a dive bar to play a game of pool, which she wins, of course. Her prize? A pair of Levi’s jeans. This ad has a strong narrative that promotes her album and represents Beyoncé without overtly sexualizing her. She is an icon and represents herself as such, which I love. On the other hand…
sydney sweeney with american eagle
This was one of the hottest controversies of the summer, and unfortunately, for good reason. In this ad, we see Sydney Sweeney lying down in front of a plain background, zipping up her jeans, and saying the now-infamous words:
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
And what American Eagle decides to finish off this ad with? Sydney Sweeney has “great jeans”. This ad caused controversy because many interpreted it as playing into eugenics, which, when considered alongside the Trump administration’s efforts to cut DEI programs and target groups such as immigrants, is already not a good look. What makes it worse is the way the ad overly sexualizes her, being a nod to a 1980 Calvin Klein ad starring then 15-year-old Brooke Shields. The ad campaign failed horribly on so many levels, and it was even further humiliated by my absolute favorite of all the denim ads.
katseye with gap
What is there to say about this ad that has not been said? Everything about it is perfect! From the killer choreography by the legendary Robbie Blue, to the wide array of outfits GAP displayed through KATSEYE, to the beautiful show of diversity throughout the one-minute-and-thirty-second ad. There is a reason this campaign is called Better in Denim and why the song they use is none other than “Milkshake” by Kelis. hey are confident and unafraid to show it, and it’s no wonder this ad went viral and became a huge cultural moment for both GAP and KATSEYE.
addison rae with lucky brand
I have not seen nearly enough people talk about this ad campaign. Addison Rae has been having such an amazing year, and I feel like this ad perfectly captures her essence. In a series of pictures, she shows off a pair of low-rise flare jeans she co-designed, proving that Y2K fashion is back and here to stay.
Each picture gives off strong Britney energy, and you can see the sheer confidence she has in the product she designed. Not only is Addison stunning in the photoshoot, but it also shows that Lucky Brand knows how to connect with younger audiences, using a recognizable face like Addison Rae to garner attention, something that the GAP ad also does successfully with KATSEYE. It is so underrated, and I think people should be talking about it more.