Back to the 90s? Can celebrity ads make denim relevant in 2025?

Denim never really goes out of style, it just finds new faces to wear it.

In the 90s, those faces were unforgettable. Brooke Shields whispering, “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins”. Cindy Crawford sipping a Pepsi in her cut-off Levi’s. Those campaigns didn’t just sell jeans, they sold attitude, rebellion and a snapshot of an era when denim defined cool.

Fast forward to 2025 and the formula feels familiar. From Beyoncé’s cinematic Denim Cowboy film with Levi’s to Gap’s Y2K revival featuring girl group KATSEYE, and American Eagle’s cheeky Sydney Sweeney campaign that sparked a cultural debate, denim brands are clearly dusting off a familiar playbook: the celebrity-fronted ad.

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However, today’s audiences are not the MTV generation. Attention is fragmented, authenticity is currency and nostalgia can cut both ways. Hence, the question is, can celebrities still make denim a cultural moment, or are brands chasing a kind of mass cool that no longer exists?

With celebrity-fronted denim ads plastered around the world again, the industry is split between those who see it as creative revival and those who see it as a strategic safety net. VJ Anand, founder and chief creative officer of Ballsy, who has worked for the likes of VaynerMedia, BBDO Worldwide and TBWA\Worldwide, said this resurgence is simply part of an inevitable creative loop.

“It just needed one person to open the floodgates and the rest followed up trying to one-up each other,” he said. “And then someone is sure to come in with a great piece of work with no celebrity or an unknown and set the trend again. It’s a cycle and a loop.”

But not everyone sees it as creative momentum. Vinod Savio, chief creative officer at DDB Group Singapore, called it what it is — a defensive strategy.

“Denim is a utility product. A brand without a strong idea can’t command attention. So, what do they do? They borrow it. They use a celebrity as a human billboard,” he added.

Star power or shortcut? 

In today’s attention economy, celebrities can give brands an instant jolt, but it only works if the partnership has substance. Anand stressed the importance of aligning the celebrity with the brand’s DNA, while Savio warned that using stars as shortcuts risks producing “noise” without meaning.

Farrokh Madon, chief creative officer at Pirate, noted that the temptation to lean on fame is as old as advertising itself.

“Celebrities and advertising have always gone together like apple and pie,” he said. “The smarter brands use them to build their own story. If you don’t, the eyeballs you got via the celebrity fly away the moment your contract ends.”

Celebrity appeal is only part of the story. Nostalgia plays a key role, with denim brands leaning on 90s aesthetics to make their campaigns feel culturally relevant. Anand pointed to the resurgence of 90s trends, from sold-out Adidas collabs to Nirvana blasting in Gen Z bars, noting that the era’s advertising styles are back too.

Savio explained that the nostalgia goes beyond aesthetics. “They’re borrowing from the past because it’s simpler than inventing a new future,” he said. “The 90s aesthetic works for two reasons: comfort and cultural solace. The relaxed, baggy fits neutralise the competition by being genuinely comfortable. That’s the product truth.”

Madon agreed that the nostalgic link can work, but only if brands don’t rely on it to do the heavy lifting.

“It’s the easiest way for a brand to get noticed,” he said. “But most brands don’t even feel they need to be creative if they have a celebrity. Like those cringe shampoo ads where the celebrity is used just for a hair toss.”

When the Internet claps back

Backlash has become the cost of entry in today’s cultural arena, but how a brand handles it can define a campaign’s impact. 

Take American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney ad, Sydney Sweeney has great jeans. A pun linking jeans and genes sparked controversy, with some critics reading it as insensitive or even eugenics-adjacent. The brand defended the campaign, emphasising the focus was on the product and sales of the featured jeans surged. Still, the ad drew mixed reactions online, showing just how quickly celebrity campaigns can generate both hype and heat in today’s hyper-visible cultural landscape.

Anand said the strongest brands are open to criticism: if you fear negativity, you won’t do anything great. Haters and critics are inevitable, but controversy can fuel exposure and even sales.

Madon and Savio added nuance: campaigns that appear divisive or stray from a brand’s core values risk turning backlash toxic.

"It created massive noise and got noticed, but it provided nothing useful about the product. The focus was on controversy and the star, not the brand truth. When you prioritise noise over meaning, you deserve the backlash," added Savio. 

When done right, celebrity-led denim campaigns still pack a punch, but only if they remain true to the brand. Anand noted that the best ads stand for something clear and unapologetic, even if they playfully poke at competitors.

Savio explained that the difference between a fleeting hit and a lasting cultural icon comes down to intent: the celebrity should amplify the brand’s best self. The Levi’s partnership with Beyoncé, he noted, illustrates this perfectly, blending music, style, and cultural resonance to create a campaign that would still work even without the superstar attached.

Ultimately, for Savio, the best celebrity campaigns don’t just buy attention, they build cultural legacy, answering the unspoken question:

Why should I wear your jeans over literally anything else?

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