American Eagle's new advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has ignited a heated debate regarding race, beauty standards, and the implications of its seemingly playful tagline. The campaign, titled "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," uses a pun that some critics argue has undertones of eugenics and promotes a narrow, exclusionary view of beauty.
The controversy stems from a video shared on social media where Sweeney, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress, says, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue". This wordplay, juxtaposing "genes" with "jeans," has been interpreted by some as a subtle endorsement of eugenics, a discredited theory that promotes selective breeding to improve the human race. Critics argue that by associating Sweeney's appearance with "good genes," the campaign reinforces a limited and outdated concept of beauty that favors whiteness and certain physical traits.
The backlash has been widespread on social media, with users expressing concerns that the campaign is "tone deaf" and subtly promotes white supremacy. Some have pointed out that in the current socio-political climate, where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are under attack, the campaign feels particularly insensitive. Others argue that the choice of words was not accidental and that it serves as a "dog whistle" to a conservative audience.
Marcus Collins, a marketing professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, suggested that the controversy could have been avoided by featuring models of various races using the "genes" pun. He stated that the current campaign could be interpreted as ignorance, laziness, or intentional messaging, none of which are positive. Shalini Shankar, a cultural and linguistic anthropologist at Northwestern University, expressed concern that the campaign exacerbates a limited concept of beauty and seems to target a "white privileged American" demographic.
However, not everyone agrees with the criticism. Some social media users argue that the detractors are reading too much into the campaign and that it is simply a harmless play on words. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly wrote on X that the "leftist meltdown" over the ad has only given Sweeney more exposure. Some advertising experts suggest that the social media backlash is part of the campaign's strategy to cut through the noise and generate attention.
American Eagle has not yet responded to the criticism directly. However, after facing backlash, the brand posted an image of a woman of color wearing denim with the caption "AE has great jeans". Some observers find American Eagle's silence disappointing, suggesting that the company should address the concerns raised, even if they don't pull the campaign.
It's worth noting that this isn't the first time Sweeney has been involved in political controversy. In 2022, she faced criticism for photos taken at her mother's birthday party, where some guests wore hats reminiscent of Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. Despite past controversies, Sweeney's popularity remains high, and she recently achieved internet fame by selling soap made with her bathwater.
In addition to the main campaign, American Eagle is launching a limited-edition "Sydney Jean," with proceeds going to the Crisis Text Line for domestic violence awareness. The brand stated that Sweeney's "girl next door charm and main character energy" are hallmarks of the "bold, playful campaign". The campaign includes Sweeney's image on 3-D billboards and an AI-enabled try-on feature.
