American Eagle’s new campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney started like any other fashion rollout.
The actress, known for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus, poses in a variety of denim looks, styled by Molly Dickson. The video ad begins innocently enough, with Sweeney saying,
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… My jeans are blue.”
It’s the next line that caused chaos online.
A narrator chimes in: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
That line alone has ignited a storm of backlash.
Some viewers called the campaign “tone-deaf,” accusing it of playing on genetic privilege. With Sweeney’s blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, critics argued the ad echoed eugenics-era messaging.
Columbia University professor Dr. Sayantani DasGupta told PEOPLE that she would be using the campaign in her classroom this semester. On TikTok, she explained how it
“racializes beauty standards” and called it “a loud, racialized dog whistle.”
Online discourse exploded. Some called the ad “objectifying,” while others compared it to Brooke Shields’ infamous Calvin Klein campaign from 1980.
On American Eagle’s TikTok page, angry commenters left messages like,
“We will NEVER purchase from this company ever again,” and “This is how brands collapse.”
But not everyone agreed with the outrage.
Despite the controversy, the company saw a financial boost. Vanity Fair reported that American Eagle’s stock rose 10 percent after the campaign launched, adding over $200 million to the brand’s value.
As debate spilled into politics, Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the Ruthless Podcast. He said,
“You have a normal all-American beautiful girl doing a normal jeans ad, and they have managed to unhinge themselves over it.”
Megyn Kelly echoed that on X, writing,
“The leftist meltdown over the Sydney Sweeney ad has only resulted in a beautiful white blonde girl with blue eyes getting 1000x the exposure for her ‘good genes.’”
White House communications director Steven Cheung also commented, calling the backlash an example of “warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking.”
Through it all, Sweeney has remained silent. In an earlier interview with PEOPLE, she said she was “so excited” to join the campaign, calling AE’s denim “the comfiest jeans I’ve ever worn.”
Then, finally, American Eagle spoke.
On August 1, the brand posted a message on Instagram stating:
“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Some praised the company for standing its ground. Others argued the response made things worse.
Still, the numbers speak. The campaign has gone viral, the stock is up, and Sydney Sweeney remains at the center of the cultural conversation.
Whether people love it or hate it, American Eagle’s message is clear, they’re not backing down.
Featured image credit: (Instagram/sydney_sweeney)
