American Eagle: A Pawsome New Campaign, or just a Dog-gone Joke?

On March 24th, American Eagle announced that it would soon be launching a new line of clothing. This line will consist of clothing for customer’s dogs and is aptly named “American Beagle.” While there is much buzz online from those who believe this may be tied to April Fools day, the attention the campaign is getting is no joke. 

The new line features online ads with popular Viner Brittany Furlan and her dog Meghan and is supposed to be released later this spring. Until then, American Eagle is giving customers the option to sign up for the waitlist, and receive 20% off of a purchase of three items or more. In addition, for every order placed, the company will donate one dollar to the ASPCA, up to $100,000. The campaign is also being translated to Instagram, with users Instagramming photos of their pets in clothes, with the hashtag #AEOstyle. 

American Eagle has already put up photos of some of the looks on their website, modeled by some adorable pups. The photos read “Coming soon” and have a link below that reads “Shop this look for women” (or men). 

The website also includes a video about the creation of the brand, which can be viewed here.

Although many online consumers believe that this is an early April Fools Joke, it’s an interesting public relations strategy. The brand is showing consumers that they’re supporting a great cause, showing corporate social responsibility and a genuine care for animals. In addition, they are driving traffic to their online site, by offering a coupon and by allowing users to see the doggie “looks” in styles for humans.

Although this is gaining lots of coverage for the brand, they could also run into problems if it turns out to be an April Fools day joke. The 20% off discount and the donations to charity are definitely real, however, the actual line of dog clothing may never become tangible. American “Beagle” may leave some users who are hopeful for a real dog clothing line disappointed if it is never released.

American Eagle is definitely bringing attention to both itself and the ASPCA, and even if it is just a joke, at least it supports a great cause. Once April 1st rolls around, we’ll find out for sure one way or another and be able to see if it pans out in a positive way. 


By Hailey Lanier