Sydney Sweeney’s got great jeans and apparently, even greater controversy. A new American Eagle campaign starring the actress is turning heads for more than just its denim.
American Eagle’s latest ad campaign featuring Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney seemed, at first, like a normal fashion marketing campaign.
It revolves around a simple pun: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”.
But its use of wordplay and imagery have led to a massive outcry about supremacist undertones.
The reaction online has been predictably divided, from those calling Sweeney a right-wing-extremist to those writing the backlash off as overblown and others dismissing the criticism as leftist hysteria.
The Ad: Great Jeans or Great Genes
The marketing campaign centers around Sydney Sweeney, a well-known actress recognized for her roles in shows like Euphoria, promoting American Eagle's latest jeans collection.
Multiple versions of the ad exist, although some are more neutrally conceived than others.
One version of the ad shows Sweeney nervously auditioning for the campaign itself. Another places her in full bombshell mode, posing in denim next to vintage muscle cars.
In the mostly cited (and often called controversial ad), Sweeney delivers a monologue about inheriting traits such as hair color and personality from her parents:
“Jeans [genes] are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color."
She concludes with the line: “My jeans are blue.” This then leads into the campaign tagline:
“Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
The double meaning behind the phrase is clear (a play on the similarity of the homophonic words “jeans” and “genes”) .
But what the subtext under all this means depends on who you ask.
Audience Reactions: Nostalgia or Nationalism?
Sweeney is no stranger to controversy. She’s been both celebrated and mocked for her marketing choices, including playing into a highly sexual persona and campaigns for selling her own bathwater as soap.
According to many, she is embodying what many call the “male gaze” ideal, a critique that's followed her into this campaign.
The American Eagle ad, however, took things several steps further.
Critics argue that highlighting inherited traits and "genes", particularly when paired with Sweeney’s eurocentric features, blonde hair and blue eyes and the current political landscape, echoes themes associated with eugenics, an ideology that has promoted the idea of genetically “superior” traits, often aligned with racial and ethnic features.
On social media plattforms like Reddit, Twitter and Instagram, the ad is compared to "Nazi propaganda" and a "racist dogwhistle".
Others, however, see the wordplay as lighthearted and effective marketing, playing on common advertising tropes to generate interest and engagement. According to them, the “great genes” slogan signifies an aspirational nod to Sweeney’s beauty and popularity.
Intent vs. Impact
That brings us to the core question: was this just a bold marketing move gone sideways, or something more calculated?
Some argue the campaign was deliberately designed to attract attention through controversy, a tactic often referred to as “ragebait” marketing.
Whether intentional or not, the campaign landed in a time where visual cues and messaging are under a microscope. The resemblance to historical beauty propaganda, however coincidental, feels charged regardless of intent.
In a cultural climate where extremism is a big topic of debate, the move can be considered risky, as it is bound to play into a political divide.
Mixed Messages
This is where things get complicated.
While the ad’s visuals signal sex appeal, and to some even questionable propaganda, the product carries also a message that’s far more charitable, leaving many confused with the actual messaging of the campaign.
In an interview with InStyle, Sweeney explained that the butterfly patch stitched onto the back of the Sydney Jeans was inspired by her upcoming film Christy, where she plays Christy Martin, a boxing champion and survivor of domestic abuse.
The role left an impression on her and led to her decision to tie the campaign to a cause.
“I wanted to do something in support of a cause that was really important to me by bringing awareness to domestic violence,”
she said.
As part of that effort, 100% of the proceeds from sales of the Sydney Jeans will go to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that provides free, confidential mental health support.
On one hand, it shows a genuine effort to use a high-profile brand deal for good, on the other it's a sharp contrast to the controversial imagery of the ad, which some say leans into outdated ideas of desirability.
As ads continue to be seen not just as marketing tools but as statements about the state of the world, brands hold the responsibility to be intentional about their promoted ideals and their impact.
American Eagle, as of now, has not issued a statement to clarify their intent yet.