In 2006, American Eagle launched aerie—a giftable multi-channel lifestyle intimates brand targeting 15–25 year old females. The collection, offered at all American Eagle stores, aerie stores, and aerie.com, included bras, pjs, undies, dormwear, fitness apparel and personal care products. From the dorm room to the coffee shop to the classroom, this sweetly sexy, comfortable and cozy collection offered girls a new way to express personal style.

Hint’s mandate was to create a unique aerie-branded experience to raise awareness, drive mall traffic, and build customer loyalty while tying together all elements of the new DNA brand book (prior to the New Store Opening project, Hint created the aerie DNA brand book).

Hint identified two primary focuses for the new store opening campaign. First, leverage existing AE stores/brand to connect the new aerie stores/brand. Second, use conversational marketing to create buzz surrounding the new aerie store. Based on this focus, aerie selected several specific ideas Hint generated including a “free undie” texting promotion hidden within the barricade art, an invitation to visit the new store placed on mirrors in the AE dressing rooms, and a “free undie” hang tag attached to AE shopping bags.  The complete in-mall marketing system included banners, barricade wraps, posters, table tents, floor graphics, mall entry graphics, AE marquee, AE cash/wrap, AE table marketing and AE bag hang tags.

The 2008 aerie NSO program was more successful than ever before. New customers were immediately familiar with aerie during NSO and it received higher than expected store traffic during the first few months.