American Eagle’s denim ad featuring Sydney Sweeney sparks culture debate
This summer, a denim ad has unexpectedly become a lightning rod for cultural debate. American Eagle’s campaign – boldly titled ‘SYDNEY SWEENEY HAS GREAT JEANS‘ – has been trending on social media. But it is not entirely for good reasons.
Launched on July 23, the ad attempts a cheeky play on the homophones ‘jeans’ and ‘genes’. In the clip, Sydney – a blonde, blue-eyed actress – said: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.”
“My jeans are blue,” she added. Many people on the internet are criticizing the ad campaign for promoting outdated beauty standards and reinforcing racial stereotypes, especially in today’s society and digital generation.
Outdated beauty standards and racial stereotypes in focus
The backlash has been quick. Netizens are spamming the ad campaign on X, Instagram, TikTok and more platforms, expressing a lot of disappointment. People are also accusing American Eagle of deliberately courting controversy to increase engagement.
This marketing strategy has become too prominent in the age of viral outrage. The clip has since disappeared from the brand’s social media accounts, but screenshots and re-uploads continue to circulate, fueling the ongoing drama.In an unexpected update, US President Donald Trump has added his opinion to the drama, noting on his platform Truth Social: “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there … The jeans are flying off the shelves.”
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