American Eagle’s Travis Kelce Collab ‘Strategic’ After Sydney Sweeney Drama

American Eagle is back in the spotlight—and this time for more positive reasons—thanks to America’s favorite “gym teacher,” Travis Kelce.

The Kansas City Chiefs star is fronting the denim brand’s latest campaign with the message: “live to play,” through his lifestyle label, Tru Kolors.

The collaboration was announced on Instagram just a day after the news of Kelce’s engagement to Taylor Swift broke the internet.

But the timing is also significant for the clothing brand. The launch comes only weeks after the company faced backlash over its “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign with the Euphoria actor, which drew criticism for perceived racial undertones linked to eugenics.

Here, Newsweek explores how American Eagle is navigating its comeback with Kelce, what PR experts say about the brand’s strategy to include more diversity — and the mixed reaction the campaign has sparked online.

The PR Take

“Without the Sydney controversy, we might have seen more shots centered just on him in this reveal,” Chris Harihar, Executive Vice President of PR at Mod Op, told Newsweek. “Ultimately, the way they executed it is smart because it reinforces the perception that American Eagle values inclusivity as a brand. The goal here is to rebuild trust with a wider audience.”

Inside the Campaign

American Eagle reported that the AE x Tru Kolors by Travis Kelce collection, that dropped yesterday, has been more than a year in the making, with Kelce serving as Creative Director.

The line, priced between $14.95 and $179.95, includes vintage-inspired tees, varsity jackets, utility cargos and cashmere sets.

To reinforce its “live to play” ethos, the campaign also spotlights a diverse group of athletes including gymnast Suni Lee and basketball guard Azzi Fudd, underscoring inclusivity alongside Kelce’s star power.

Why Kelce, Why Now?

Harihar further explained to Newsweek why the partnership was a strategic choice.

He noted that Kelce’s personal brand has skyrocketed in recent years, pointing to data from Sponsor United showing the Chiefs’ sponsorship revenue has jumped nearly 60%—a rise tied not just to team success, but to Kelce’s crossover star power.

“A major driver of that is his relationship with Taylor Swift, I think he would even admit this, which has turned him into a cultural phenomenon beyond football, see his cameo in Happy Gilmore.

“Their engagement, which broke the internet, only adds to the momentum, really cementing him as one of the more valuable partners a brand could have,” he said.

He added that American Eagle needed a broadly appealing figure after the Sweeney controversy, and Kelce fit the bill.

“They took a hit from the polarizing reaction to that campaign, as well as from competitor campaigns that felt like ‘responses’, like Gap’s viral Katseye ad,” he continued.

Amid the backlash against American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney campaign, Gap introduced its “Better in Denim” ad on August 19—which quickly went viral and was met with praise for featuring multicultural pop girl group Katseye dancing joyfully in Y2K-inspired denim to Kelis’s “Milkshake.”

“That made it important for American Eagle to return with someone who had safe, broad appeal. The fact that Travis could step into that role and still generate mostly a positive response speaks to his value,” Harihar said.

But he also pointed out the importance of how the campaign was executed, if they had solely focused on Kelce – a white, male athlete – they could have opened the doors to further criticism.

“The campaign leans into diversity and representation, likely built in from the start given the other athletes involved. However, the launch creative also feels intentionally less ‘all Travis’ and more group-focused,” he said.

The Online Debate

Despite this strategy, the launch hasn’t escaped criticism.

“Ok but Travis Kelce partnering with American Eagle is incredibly tone deaf,” wrote Christine Garcia (@xtinealicia) on Threads, in a post that racked up more than 34,000 views.

Others defended Kelce and the collaboration. Jordan (@puffer112) argued: “This opinion may be a little controversial, but I don’t understand the hate that Travis Kelce is getting for the American Eagle partnership.

“I understand that their last campaign was awful. But it’s not like collaborations happen overnight. This stuff takes months and months to do. And unfortunately, he doesn’t have a crystal ball that will tell him that American Eagle will get into a scandal involving white supremacy.”

A Fresh Narrative

Lynn Carratt, PR and Entertainment Expert at E20 Communications, agreed that Kelce’s appeal goes far beyond football.

“By pairing Travis with a campaign that emphasizes diversity and connection, American Eagle are broadening their appeal beyond just Gen Z shoppers. They are trying to position themselves, not just as a denim brand, but as a lifestyle label,” she told Newsweek.

Carratt said the timing of the launch was also no accident following the international buzz of Kelce’s engagement to Swift, allowing American Eagle to reframe its public image with a celebratory and inclusive campaign.

“Strategically, pivoting to Travis Kelce provides the brand with a new upbeat narrative that moves the conversation away from past criticism,” she said.

With the second half of the collection set to drop on September 24, time will soon tell if the Kelce collaboration delivers a recuperative touchdown for American Eagle.

Newsweek reached out to American Eagle Outfitter’s press office and to Travis Kelce’s publicist for comment via email.