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American Eagle just can’t seem to stay out of the headlines. Whether you see it as a PR misstep or a masterstroke, it kept the brand in the cultural conversation. After the buzz (and backlash) around its Sydney Sweeney has great jeans campaign, the brand is back in the spotlight, this time for a high-profile collaboration with NFL player Travis Kelce (who is currently trending for his engagement with Taylor Swift).
Launched on August 27, the AE x Tru Kolors by Travis Kelce line spans 90 pieces, from carpenter pants to cashmere sets, released over two drops. Since founding Tru Kolors in 2019, Kelce has evolved from streetwear staples to bolder, more designer-leaning fits—an evolution amplified by his relationship with Swift.
The campaign also features gymnast Suni Lee and college football star Jeremiah Smith, underscoring AE’s bet on sports and pop culture as a style crossover.
But if the collab launch was timely, the engagement news was rocket fuel. On August 26, Swift and Kelce announced their engagement on Instagram, and within hours, it was the most reposted post in the platform’s history, crossing one million shares in under six hours.
Swift’s caption (“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married 🧨”) sealed the internet-breaking moment in true Swiftian style. That single post has racked up over 35 million likes.
And as always with Swift, no detail went unnoticed. Her massive old mine brilliant-cut diamond ring immediately dominated Pinterest boards and jewellery blogs. Just as quickly, eagle-eyed fans zoomed in on her wrist: a yellow-gold Cartier Santos Demoiselle, discontinued in 2022 but suddenly surging in demand.
“Well, everyone stock up on yellow-gold Cartier Demoiselle,” Altier Jewelers’ Kelly Yoch quipped on Instagram. “Taylor runs the show now.”
For brands, this wasn’t just a celebrity milestone; it was a cultural billboard. From Domino’s to KitKat, Lego to Pepsi, marketers jumped on the frenzy with memes, cheeky creatives and real-time activations.
Even fashion blogs and fan accounts joined the dots, tagging brands linked to her ring, watch, and dress in hopes of riding the engagement traffic.
What we’re witnessing is a playbook in motion: symbols (a ring, a watch, a caption) morph into viral talking points, brands rush to attach themselves, and cultural moments double as marketing megaphones. It’s not paid media but earned hype fuelled by fandom, amplified by brands.
This isn’t new territory. Swift’s cultural pull has long made her a magnet for brand tie-ins, but Kelce’s rising style credibility and mainstream crossover make the engagement an even more potent commercial moment. Together, they’re not just America’s sweetheart couple; they’re a marketing goldmine.
