Shares in American Eagle jumped about 3% Tuesday after it revealed iconic homemaker Martha Stewart as the newest face of the brand following its controversial campaign starring Sydney Sweeney.
Stewart, 84, wears head-to-toe denim – along with a dangly diamond necklace – in American Eagle’s new “Give Great Jeans Campaign” ahead of the busy holiday shopping season.
The recipe-and-craft wiz poses on a quirky set decorated in blue fabric, with a denim turkey displayed on the kitchen counter.
“American Eagle has been extremely bold with their choices of marketing campaigns and who they put as the face,” Hitha Herzog, chief retail analyst at H Squared Research and part-time faculty at Parsons, told The Post.
“Having Martha Stewart completely tracks with what they are doing with the brand.”
The new promotions come after American Eagle came under criticism for its “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign earlier this year. Pearl-clutching commenters took issues with the play on words, which used “jeans” instead of “genes” to talk about the blond-haired, blue-eyed starlet.
Herzog said Stewart’s “irreverence resonates with this young crowd.”
“It’s Martha Stewart’s way of saying, ‘I’m gonna throw a middle finger to aging and what you all think of who I am. I can do pretty much anything and still be relevant,’” the analyst added.
While known for her advice on hosting extravagant house parties, Stewart is also a “spokesperson chameleon” – promoting everything from her own line of CBD gummies to “19 Crimes” wine with Snoop Dogg — Herzog noted.
Stewart has had her own share of scandals, including five months behind bars over an insider trading scheme in 2004 and her attempt to trademark a Native American name.
