As someone who is 5’11, I struggle to find jeans that are long enough to fit and are still trendy and stylish. Over the past few years, American Eagle has been my one-stop shop for all things denim as they are perfect for all heights, sizes and styles. That being said, it’s not surprising that I was absolutely ecstatic to attend American Eagle’s Denim Deli pop-up event at 12 South on March 21.
The event was filled with live music, lots of denim, delicious sandwiches and special appearances from “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes and country music artist Abby Anderson.
Little did I know that the entire goal of this event was to appeal to people just like me. More specifically, American Eagle’s Denim Deli event blended in with the culture of Nashville to embrace a connection between the local community, specifically young members and the brand.
“Events like this one in Nashville and our previous one in Austin are really meant to bring the brand to the customer,” Ashley Schapiro, Vice President of Marketing at American Eagle Outfitters Inc., said.
This event was part of the American Eagle “Live Your Life” brand platform which encourages young people to “enjoy the world around them through optimism, culture and connection with themselves and others.”
That is exactly what the Denim Deli was all about as it was geared towards college students and young creatives, giving them a platform to meet one another and even play at their open mic stage. Even their main performer, Abby Anderson, encouraged others to take the stage and perform.
A huge part of what made this event so successful in bringing together the Nashville community was the multitude of denim details present throughout. There were such careful, detailed choices in the construction and branding of the event. Everything from sandwich wrappers to receipts, to employee t-shirts had the Denim Deli branding. The sandwiches were not only delicious but also cleverly named after aspects of the event, with options like the “Chase Stokes” and “Denim Delight.” In addition, nearly every element of the event was denim-wrapped — from a deli-style “take a number” ticket machine, to denim centerpieces and even a fully denim-covered truck.
“The truck is covered with actual scraps from the American Eagle factory,” Schapiro said.
Beyond the visual details, American Eagle really took the time to embed the Denim Deli event into the Nashville community. Most of the vendors and collaborators at this event were local businesses. For example, they had free denim American Eagle tote bags for all attendees to customize with patches provided by Ranger Stitch, a local embroidery company. The patches had creative depictions of either the “Denim Deli” or “Live Your Life” branding –– some even featured cowboy boots which gave an added Nashville touch. On that same note, American Eagle invited local influencers like Sicily Rose and the open mic featured many Belmont students. This local feel was sealed by using the Mitchell Deli for all sandwiches available at the event.
“The Chase Stokes sandwich came to be because he goes to this deli every day, and that’s what he gets,” said Schapiro.
Overall, this was a perfect example of how to celebrate and bring together the Nashville community. It was these intentional decisions and attention to detail that made the Denim Deli such a delightful way to spend the day.
