I don’t know about you, but when I think about American Eagle Outfitters, I immediately think about high-end smartphones. Well, not really, but the company is trying to get some of that smartphone halo around its brand by giving away devices like the HTC Aria, LG Ally or BlackBerry for free when you try on some jeans.
Yeah, that’s “free” because you’ll have to sign up for a new, two-year contract but that’s still not a bad deal because you can save about $100 off the cost of the device. Sure, that’s nothing compared to the long-term costs but it could be a nice savings if you’ve already decided to get a smartphone.
How does it work? Well, according to American Eagle, you try on some jeans, get the instructions, go online to choose your phone and carrier and then wait for the FedEx truck to bring your new smartphone. You can also get a $25 gift certificate to the clothing retailer.
The selection that American Eagle is offering is pretty darn good too, as you can find a free handset on any of the major four mobile operators. I’ve already spied a BlackBerry Curve 8520, BlackBerry Bold, the aforementioned Aria and Ally, Motorola Cliq XT, Backflip and the Devour.
“American Eagle Outfitters wants to send our customers back-to-school in style with new denim and a new phone,” said Fred Grover, executive vice president of marketing, American Eagle Outfitters, in a prepared statement. “This promotion adds a level of excitement and fun to our customers’ shopping experience, as well as making a powerful statement about our confidence in the denim collection.”
This isn’t IntoJeans (don’t even think of stealing that idea) but I actually dig American Eagle jeans. These things are pretty darn comfortable and are priced relatively well. Nothing really beats a good pair of Levis, but these are still pretty solid.
So, what do you think about American Eagle offering free smartphones? Heck, it’s Friday, what are you favorite jeans?