How American Eagle’s AI Ads Are Driving Gen Z IRL

American Eagle Outfitters is leaning hard into Meta’s Advantage+ AI ad platform—and seeing results that might even make a TikTok teen put down their phone and head to the mall. The retailer now devotes more than a third of its Facebook and Instagram ad budget to these automated campaigns. With Meta’s latest updates, including the ability to set in-store sales goals, AE can steer customers to physical locations, not just their e-commerce site. According to CMO Craig Brommers, this shift has delivered a 48% lift in return on ad spend among the highly coveted 18–24 demo.

The core appeal? Instant gratification. Gen Z isn’t keen on waiting a few days for their denim to ship. Meta’s upgraded ad tech helps solve that by guiding users to their nearest AE store, all while continuing to support online conversions. Behind the scenes, Meta’s AI—now powered by its new Andromeda model—optimizes bids, placements, and product selections. While some marketers remain skeptical of giving up creative control, AE has fully embraced the automation, betting big on performance over hand-holding.

Beyond performance metrics, Meta’s suite is getting flashier with features like AI-generated “virtual try-ons,” showcasing products on diverse digital body types. AE is cautiously exploring generative AI for creative, with Brommers admitting a newfound openness thanks to the clear ROI. In a tough retail climate and with consumer sentiment dipping, the brand is making a calculated play: trust the machines, follow the data, and let Gen Z shop where (and how) they want.