How Denim Brands Can Capitalize on the U.S. Semiquincentennial

The 250th anniversary of the United States this July arrives at a deeply divisive moment in the nation’s history, as its global standing appears increasingly fractured.

A July 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that overall views of the U.S. had declined in 15 countries compared with the previous spring, including drops of 20 percentage points or more in Mexico, Sweden, Poland and Canada. That sentiment is reflected in international tourism to the U.S. In January, the World Travel & Tourism Council reported that the U.S. saw a 6 percent decline in foreign visitors in 2025, even as global tourism grew by more than 6 percent.

Closer to home, the country is deeply divided on a range of issues shaping the national conversation—from transgender rights and access to healthcare to immigration enforcement, the economy and the escalating conflict with Iran. A February 2026 Gallup poll found that 72 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States.

While the Fourth of July promises the potential for bigger and brighter celebrations this year, many consumers may struggle to feel festive. According to the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration, over 90 percent of Americans participated in at least one bicentennial-related activity in 1976. Fifty years later, when Americans seem more polarized than ever, Cassandra Napoli, WGSN’s head of consumer forecasting, said it remains to be seen how many will feel the urge to celebrate.

Brands and retailers looking to mark the occasion with special products or activations will need to strike the right balance—showing patriotic spirit without appearing tone-deaf.

American Eagle’s controversial Fall 2025 campaign, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” is still fresh in the minds of many marketing executives. The campaign sparked backlash online, with many consumers interpreting the messaging as having undertones of eugenics. A registered Republican, Sweeney’s political affiliation also came into question.

American Eagle never addressed the eugenics allegation. Rather, in a social media post, the brand reiterated that the campaign was about Sweeney’s story and jeans. Jay Schottenstein, executive chairman of the board and chief executive officer of American Eagle Outfitters Inc., called it a success during the company’s Q2 2025 earnings call.

David Loranger, an associate professor of fashion marketing and merchandising at Sacred Heart University, believes the brand underestimated young consumers’ political awareness and the strength of their beliefs.

“I think that American Eagle was betting on their core Gen Z demographic’s agnosticism regarding Sweeney’s politics and was rather counting on consumers’ laser-focus on a celebrity brand,” he said. “By contrast, Gap has been known for its diverse campaigns, so perhaps American Eagle wanted to differentiate themselves in that manner.”

While it appears that American Eagle has moved on from the controversy with campaigns featuring Martha Stewart and country artist Ella Langley, Loranger said “massive damage can be done to a brand through a campaign that makes customers feel excluded or deceived.” At the end of the day, as a brand that “just makes clothes,” he’s not sure why American Eagle took the chance. “To borrow on a Frank Zappa-ism, the campaign was ‘banal and insipid,’” he said.  

Symbol strategy

Navigating the U.S. Semiquincentennial in a neutral way will be a challenging feat, but it’s not impossible.

“The absolute key is to avoid politically divisive issues,” said Charles R. Taylor, a John A. Murphy professor of marketing, Villanova School of Business, Villanova University. “Americans actually have many points of agreement, with most taking pride in the country’s natural beauty, ideals, tradition and success. Weighing in on issues where public opinion is divided, however, is a mistake that only serves to place limits on the number of buyers and is ill advised.”

While brands have navigated American symbols with caution amid political division, Napoli said the country’s 250th anniversary provides a moment for consumers to take stock and re-examine history while pursuing new versions of the American dream.

The degree to which brands will celebrate the milestone is wide ranging.

Amazon, Jockey, Target and Walmart are among the fashion brands and retailers named as America250 sponsors, a national nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to engage Americans in commemorating the country’s 250th anniversary. America250 initiatives span volunteer opportunities and student field trips to a national collegiate startup competition. “Signature events” will take place in New York City, Philadelphia, North Dakota and California from July 1-5, 2026, as well as block parties nationwide.

Last year, Bloomberg reported that Gap Inc. will participate in the nation’s 250th anniversary though further details have not been released.  

Special collections, collaborations and retail activations can be expected across all categories of fashion and accessories. Despite the divisive climate, Napoli said American brands “have a right” to participate in the 250th anniversary. The milestone presents a clear opportunity to “engineer joy, cultivate a sense of unity and community and spark patriotism while reflecting America’s modern, diverse make-up,” she added. One powerful narrative is nostalgia for simpler times—evoking images of picnics, county fairs, drive-in movies, and barn concerts, all “rooted in a feel-good sense of Americana.”

Taylor added that participating in events with a “truly American flavor” can resonate deeply with U.S. consumers. He pointed to Budweiser’s recent Super Bowl advertisement featuring a bald eagle, Clydesdale horses, farmers and a can of Budweiser set to the sound of “Free Bird” as a strong example of how brands can tap into shared cultural symbols.

In a divided moment, he said, subtle patriotism centered on widely recognized imagery can be particularly effective. Iconic landmarks such as Niagara Falls, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Grand Canyon—as well as national symbols like the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell—hold broad appeal across audiences. Nostalgic references to beloved actors, singers and athletes can also strike a chord. “It’s about focusing on commonality, not division,” he said.

While traditional American fashion symbols like the flag, bald eagle and Statue of Liberty will cater to patriotic consumers, Napoli urged brands to “get creative when catering to those who feel differently.” One alternative is to lean into the food-themed fashion trend by incorporating iconic American food such as hot dogs, barbeque and pies into prints and graphics.

Loranger argued that it’s less the actual visual cues, and more so the context in which these visual cues are used. “For instance, an American flag seems downright heritage in a Ralph Lauren ad, and much less so in a political ad,” he said. “I think that it’s the context that these visual cues are being placed into that warps the meaning of them into something nationalistic.”

The American flag, Uncle Sam, Rosie the Riveter, iconic buildings and landmarks, he added, are still heritage at their core, but it’s the way that they are currently being deployed that is polarizing. “Brands need to focus not only on the content they are incorporating, but also on the narrative that they are creating and how it might be interpreted,” he said.

Red, white and blue

Blue jeans are one of the few garments closely tied to American heritage, and denim brands would be remiss to miss the opportunity to capitalize on their connection to Americana.

“It’s a very natural moment for denim, because denim is one of the most powerful cultural symbols of the United States,” said Ana Paula Alves de Oliveira, founder and strategic director of the consultancy Be Disobedient.

Kontoor Brands-owned Wrangler recognizes the opportunity. “It’s a natural fit,” said Holly Wheeler, Kontoor Brands VP, global brand marketing. “America’s 250th is a once-in-a-generation national milestone, and for a heritage brand, there’s something fitting about marking a moment of that magnitude by celebrating where you’ve been. The Americana collection does both, it honors that legacy while signaling where Wrangler is headed.”

Wrangler is marking the occasion with an archive-inspired Americana collection spanning men’s and women’s denim essentials and tops in celebratory colors and patterns. “This anniversary felt like the perfect moment to dig into our archives and reimagine the styles that built the brand, while looking ahead with the same dedication that’s defined us from the start,” Wheeler said. “That kind of longevity is a testament to consistency of craft and a commitment to quality, and that’s really the story we want to tell.”

The collection also celebrates the democratic nature of denim and jeanswear. “We designed this collection to be worn and enjoyed by anyone who wants to be part of marking this moment,” she added. “Denim has always been for everybody, and that’s really where we started with this.”

Taylor said the 250th anniversary represents a huge marketing window for classic U.S. brands like Wrangler, Lee, Carhartt and especially Levi’s, which has long been associated with freedom and rebellion. “Levi’s has special opportunity due to its standing as an iconic American brand that literally invented denim blue jeans, dating back to the gold rush and has been worn by cowboys and factory workers alike,” he said.

Additionally, author and fashion historian Robert Ossant suggested that Levi’s could emphasize the story of Levi Strauss—an immigrant who lived the American Dream and whose vision became woven into the broader story of the U.S. However, he noted that in today’s polarized political climate, even acknowledging an immigrant narrative could risk being labeled “woke.”

To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S., Levi’s will showcase significant garments and artifacts that highlight the brand’s deep ties to the nation’s cultural DNA at its newly remodeled museum, The Vault, located at its headquarters in July. At an AAFA event earlier this year, Tracey Panek, Levi Strauss & Co. historian, said the company has been revisiting its archive to see how the brand celebrated America’s Bicentennial in 1976.

Brands like Levi’s also have a chance to remind consumers of denim’s cultural influence. Elizabeth Tan, WGSN senior strategist of events and culture, said the anniversary presents an opportunity to position denim as a “uniform of U.S. sound and subculture—not just heritage.”

It’s a strategy Levi’s, Wrangler, Gap, Lucky Brand and American Eagle have embraced as of late by teaming up with musicians from a variety of genres for campaigns and collaborative capsules. Like cowboy boots, Loranger said brands like Levi’s are “baked into American symbolism.” As a Gen Xer, he said the brand instantly evokes the cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”—Springsteen standing in faded Levi’s denim against a backdrop of the American flag’s red-and-white stripes. Now, Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” has revived that same imagery and cultural narrative for Gen Z, linking denim once again with a modern vision of Americana.

“From country and Southern rock to punk, grunge and hip hop, denim has been a staple across scenes that shaped American identity and style,” Tan said. She urges brands to celebrate the Semiquincentennial through music-led storytelling and community programming that feels “culturally nuanced and rooted in subcultures where denim has played an important role.”

Tan added that brands should work across music-native cities such as Nashville, Austin, Detroit, Atlanta, L.A. and Seattle to showcase how denim has played a role in becoming an aesthetic marker in music genres.

Meaningful marketing

President Donald Trump’s controversial trade policies have pushed domestic manufacturing—particularly its complexities—back into the spotlight. While access to U.S.-made denim fabrics and production capacity remains limited, the upcoming Semiquincentennial presents a timely platform for denim brands to highlight their heritage, especially those producing “Made in USA” jeans.

In 2025, 47 percent of U.S. consumers said they planned to buy more American-made products, signaling desire to celebrate American heritage, Napoli said.

Others will focus on their past. While heritage brands may be tempted to simply revisit their historic narratives, Napoli said they should consider “re-storytelling”—or the practice of refreshing archives or reappraising the past through a modern lens.

“Consider also developing educational materials about the history of your brand, industry or related topics to help boost consumer knowledge, which is cultural currency for young people in an age of distrust,” she said, adding that immersive experiences, short films and thoughtfully designed retail environments can help introduce new markets and audiences to the enduring value of a brand.

For legacy labels, that approach can help bridge heritage and relevance with younger consumers. “We see this as an opportunity to reintroduce Wrangler to people who maybe know us by name but don’t fully know our story,” Wheeler said. “At the end of the day, we’re a denim brand, and making a great product that honors this moment is the most authentic thing we can do. The collection speaks for itself.”

Napoli also emphasized the importance of telling human-centered stories that demystify the supply chain and show a genuine commitment to transparency in sourcing and labor practices—an approach that strongly resonates with modern consumers.

The story of American denim extends far beyond nostalgia. Alves de Oliveira believes denim can serve as a connector during this moment that is both chaotic and celebratory. If the U.S. and the rest of the Americas collaborated more intentionally, she said the denim ecosystem could become one of the most powerful creative and industrial networks in fashion.

“Denim is democratic, culturally and structurally,” she explained. “The industry already connects the Americas: cotton from countries like Brazil, Peru, and the United States, textile innovation across Mexico and Brazil, and strong manufacturing ecosystems throughout Latin America.” Rather than operating in silos, Alves de Oliveira urges the industry to embrace a “shared ecosystem” and to focus on connection.

“Fashion at its best reminds us that culture is something we build together,” she said. “America has always been a country shaped by immigration and cultural exchange. If brands celebrate that diversity honestly, the message becomes inclusive rather than political,” Alves de Oliveira said.

That shift also reflects the country’s changing demographics. “If we talk about American denim today, we also have to talk about demographic reality,” she said. “The LatAm community represents nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population, and its cultural influence is shaping music, entertainment and lifestyle at enormous scale. For denim brands, the anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the multicultural evolution of American identity.”

“The future of American denim is purely American,” she added. “Let’s call it Pan-American.”