American Eagle's newest ad campaign, starring actress Sydney Sweeney, has sparked heated debates online. Critics accused the brand of promoting racial undertones, while others dismissed the backlash as an overreaction.
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly weighed in on the controversy, defending Sweeney. She blasted the "lunatic left" for misinterpreting the campaign and hailing Sweeney as a "modern-day s*x symbol."
American Eagle’s fall 2025 denim campaign, starring Sydney Sweeney, plays on the double entendre of "great jeans" and "great genes." In one ad, Sweeney states,
"Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue."The tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” has sparked accusations of eugenics and white supremacy on social media platforms such as TikTok and X. During a July 28 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, the commentator blew off the criticism as ridiculous, saying that the ad was referencing Sweeney’s physical appearance, not her ethnicity.
"Sydney Sweeney, who is an actress...She's sort of a modern-day s*x symbol. She's being called a white supremacist by people who don't like her latest ad, which is for American Eagle and she's advertising jeans. And yet, the lunatics on the left think she's advertising white supremacy...this is obviously a reference to her body and not to her skin color," she said.American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney campaign sparks backlash but drives sales
American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the backlash. But when the brand’s most recent Instagram post featured a non-white model, it prompted some to wonder if it was damage control.
On July 23, 2025, the company referred to the campaign on their website as "bold" and "playful."
"Sweeney’s girl next door charm and main character energy – paired with her ability to not take herself too seriously – is the hallmark of this bold, playful campaign," they wrote.The charitable aspect of "The Sydney Jean" was that all proceeds would benefit domestic violence awareness and a mental health nonprofit, Crisis Text Line.
As reported by USA Today on July 28, Giana M. Eckhardt, a marketing expert and professor at King’s College London, provided a more tempered view of the controversy. The expert positions it as an example of how contemporary audiences help shape brand narratives, regardless of a company’s initial planned purpose. She pointed out that the campaign served its primary purpose: garnering attention.
Despite the controversy, the campaign has been commercially successful. American Eagle’s stock surged after the launch, suggesting that the backlash may not be affecting sales
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Edited by pratigya dhali