American Eagle’s new ad campaign featuring actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked backlash, with critics claiming the playful tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” carries undertones of eugenics.
The campaign shows the 27-year-old Euphoria and White Lotus star modeling denim outfits alongside the slogan. In one Instagram video, Sweeney—who is blonde and blue-eyed—stands in front of a poster that initially reads “Sydney Sweeney has great genes” before the word “genes” is crossed out and replaced with “jeans.” Another clip features Sweeney saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The campaign has received mixed reactions online. Some social media users called it “tone-deaf,” linking it to eugenics and white supremacy. One X user wrote, “Featuring a blue-eyed, blonde white woman and centering the campaign on her having ‘perfect genetics’ feels weird, especially given America’s current political climate,” referencing debates over diversity initiatives. A TikTok user argued, “The words we use are never unintentional—this is a dog whistle to rising conservatism.”
Meanwhile, others, including some on the political right, praised the campaign as a rejection of “woke” advertising. One X user declared, “Woke advertising is dead; Sydney Sweeney killed it.” Some observers dismissed the backlash as exaggerated, with a TikTok commenter saying, “It’s just an ad for jeans—I don’t see the big deal.”
As of Tuesday, neither Sweeney nor American Eagle had publicly responded to the criticism. The brand also did not immediately reply to The Guardian‘s request for comment.
The campaign includes “The Sydney Jean,” a collaboration with Sweeney featuring a butterfly motif on the back pocket, symbolizing domestic violence awareness—a cause she supports. American Eagle pledged to donate 100% of proceeds from the jeans to Crisis Text Line, a mental health nonprofit.
In a press release, the brand described the campaign as a return to classic denim, celebrating Sweeney’s “girl-next-door charm” and playful energy.
This isn’t the first time Sweeney has been embroiled in political controversy. In 2022, she faced criticism after photos from her mother’s birthday showed guests wearing hats resembling Trump’s “MAGA” slogan. More recently, she went viral for selling soap made with her bathwater, which sold out almost instantly.It came out on the Dr. Squatch website.
