What's Inside?
- Sydney Sweeney's denim ad stirs online outrage due to a controversial wordplay perceived to echo outdated eugenicist ideas.
- Critics accuse the campaign of glamorizing white genetic traits, igniting fierce cultural debates on race, beauty standards, and privilege.
- American Eagle defends the ad’s cheeky intent, while its stock jumps, proving controversy can sometimes fuel commercial success.
Sydney Sweeney has once again found herself at the center of cultural debate– this time not for a red carpet appearance or a role in a provocative HBO series, but for a seemingly clever denim ad. The “Anyone But You” and “Euphoria” star’s latest campaign with American Eagle, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” launched on July 23 and was meant to be cheeky and eye-catching. But the ad’s play on the word “jeans” versus “genes” has stirred a heated online storm– one that reaches far beyond fashion and into racial politics, white privilege, and historical trauma.
Why Sydney Sweeney’s Latest Ad for American Eagle is Being Called ‘tone-deaf’ and Historically Insensitive?
At first glance, the campaign feels like a standard celebrity-brand collaboration. Sydney Sweeney models denim while working on a car, chatting to the camera, and delivering cheeky lines like, “I’m not here to tell you to buy American Eagle jeans… And I definitely won’t say they’re the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever worn, or that they make your butt look amazing.” The screen then flashes: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” Seems harmless enough—until it doesn’t.
The trouble began when a video—later removed from most of American Eagle’s platforms but still live on Facebook—featured Sweeney saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color… My jeans are blue.” The deliberate switch between “genes” and “jeans,” especially with Sweeney’s blonde hair and blue eyes, sent alarm bells ringing.
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For many, the reference touched a nerve, evoking echoes of eugenics—the long-discredited ideology that sought to “improve” the human race through selective breeding. Critics accused the campaign of romanticizing “genetic superiority,” a concept historically linked to white supremacist beliefs and forced sterilization of marginalized communities. “The tagline is simply bizarre,” wrote Washington Post fashion critic Rachel Tashjian. “Are they trying to say that what matters is not what you look like but what you put on your body?”
Some have even drawn comparisons to controversial fashion moments of the past, like Brooke Shields’ infamous 1980 Calvin Klein ad. Others labeled it as tone-deaf at best, and a calculated attempt to provoke at worst—perhaps deliberately stirring cultural tension for attention. And it may have worked: American Eagle’s stock reportedly jumped 10% in a few days, adding over $200 million in market value, according to Vanity Fair.
Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Ad: Corporate Playfulness or Cultural Misfire?
Sydney Sweeney has not issued a formal response to the controversy. However, the brand’s Vice President of Marketing, Ashley Schapiro, offered some behind-the-scenes insight. Sharing on LinkedIn, Schapiro recalled a Zoom call with Sweeney during campaign planning. “How far do you want to push it?” she asked. Sweeney, without missing a beat, responded, “Let’s push it, I’m game.” Schapiro added that the ad was meant to reflect their “cheeky energy” and a desire to go beyond their usual creative boundaries.
The controversy seems to rest on intent versus impact. Was this just an innocent play on words, designed to sell jeans with humor and boldness? Or was it a subtle nod—intentional or not—to a damaging ideology wrapped in glossy marketing?
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Some defenders of the campaign argue the backlash is an overreaction, claiming the ad is being over-analyzed by the so-called “woke brigade.” Others say the criticism is warranted, given fashion’s historical glorification of white beauty standards and the ongoing conversations about diversity and representation in the industry.
In the end, the campaign has ignited a much larger dialogue about the intersections of pop culture, race, branding, and history. Whether American Eagle misjudged public sensitivity or hit the controversy jackpot on purpose, one thing is certain: wordplay has never looked so politically charged.
