More Celebrities Get Pulled Into the Sydney Sweeney AE Controversy as Drama Escalates
A new ad campaign for an iconic American brand has turned a pair of jeans into a cultural battleground. The drama quickly moved far beyond a simple endorsement and ignited a firestorm of opinions and commentary. The controversy has pulled in celebrities, tech moguls, and political figures into bigger discussions about race, beauty, and modern marketing. At the heart of it all is America’s sweetheart, Sydney Sweeney. Here’s the gist if you’ve finally made it out from under the rock.
The Endorsement
Usually, a celebrity endorsement is a simple, straightforward deal. A star wears a brand’s clothes, says a few lines, and everyone moves on. But a new ad campaign for American Eagle, starring actress Sydney Sweeney, turned into a messier situation. The drama involved the ad’s script, a long list of public figures, and a debate about modern politics and beauty standards.
It all started with some “clever, even provocative language,” as the brand’s chief marketing officer said. The campaign, titled “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” featured videos of the actress making puns on the words “genes” and “jeans.” The script had her saying lines like, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The ad caused an immediate backlash. Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod to eugenics, a discredited theory that advocates for selective breeding. Others criticized the advertisement as hypersexualized and compared it to a controversial 1980 Calvin Klein ad featuring a young Brooke Shields. The ad’s script, Sweeney’s appearance, and the expectations surrounding the brand, American Eagle, created a perfect storm of outrage. The debate soon moved beyond the ad itself and became about broader topics of race, beauty standards, and politics.
The Celebrity Pile-On
The controversy grew as more celebrities and public figures weighed in. The reactions came from all sides. Some celebrities responded with humor and satire. Doja Cat famously mocked Sweeney’s voice on TikTok. Lizzo responded with a meme of herself wearing a similar denim outfit with the words “My jeans are black…”
On the other side, some public figures came to Sweeney’s defense. Ted Cruz, Megyn Kelly, and JD Vance all pushed back against the criticism, calling the backlash “absurd” and part of an “unhinged” left-wing political attack. Megyn Kelly, for example, said there was “nothing wrong with being white” and that people were losing their minds over a “beautiful white blonde girl.”
Other celebrities criticized the ad’s deeper meaning. Courtney Stodden released a statement saying the ad pushed a hypersexualized “All-American girl” image that was “rooted in racism.” She compared it to her own past as a child star who was sexualized by the system. Desi Lydic also weighed in by mocking the right-wing backlash.
The Expert Perspective
While the public argued, experts debated the ad’s true intent. Was it a massive blunder or a genius marketing strategy?
Some brand strategists and public relations experts believed the campaign was an intentional provocation. Shalini Shankar, a cultural anthropologist at Northwestern University, said the ad seemed to be “trying to rebrand themselves for the present moment” and aligning with a “white nationalist, MAGA-friendly identity.” She said the outrage was a form of currency, noting that American Eagle’s stock price briefly surged by 4% during the controversy. This is a common tactic in what is now called “outrage marketing.”
Other experts argued the ad was not as malicious. Fashion writers called the script “lazy writing” and “cheap humor.” They believed the brand was trying to recapture the sexy aesthetic of the ’90s without fully considering the current political climate. They said the ad’s creative team may have missed the mark.
The Charity That Got Lost
Image via Unsplash/Rian A. Saputro
A crucial detail that got completely lost in the chaos was the campaign’s charitable aspect. American Eagle created a limited edition Sydney jeans, and the proceeds were meant to go to the Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit crisis counseling service that helps people facing domestic violence.
Charity could have put a positive spin on the campaign, but the noise and messiness of the public debate drowned out the message. The drama surrounding the Sydney Sweeney ad is not an isolated incident. Dunkin’ recently posted an ad with a similar “Genetics” tagline, which suggests that more companies are testing the limits of what they can get away with.
The ad has become a case study in how to get attention and handle a public relations firestorm. While the public debate rages on, the biggest winner is arguably Sydney Sweeney herself. Experts agree she has emerged from the situation more powerful and famous than ever.