Clothing brand American Eagle has sparked outrage over its latest ad featuring Sydney Sweeney, with many slamming it for having racist undertones.
Clothing brand American Eagle has sparked outrage over its latest ad featuring Sydney Sweeney, with many slamming it for having racist undertones.
At issue is its tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
In the advertisement, the actor wears a full denim outfit while standing next to a billboard that reads, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.”
She then crosses out “genes” and replaces it with “jeans,” drawing attention to the brand’s focus on denim.
While seemingly innocent enough, the phrase “great genes” has often been associated with ideals of whiteness, slimness, and conventional beauty, making the campaign appear tone-deaf to many. The backlash that ensued was swift, with critics taking to social media to air their distaste.
“Maybe I’m too [expletive] woke,” wrote one X user, “But getting a blue-eyed, blonde, white woman and focusing your campaign around her having perfect genetics. Feels weird, especially considering the current state of America.”
Another X user slammed the ad for “promoting eugenics with the state of this country,” writing, “NO I don’t want your genes actually.”
“Genes are passed down from parent to offspring, often determining traits like eye color, personality, and even hair color …” a third added. “So Sydney (& American Eagle) somehow expect audiences not to interpret this visual as a euphemism for eugenics and white supremacy.”
Commenting directly on the ad on Instagram, one user wrote: “This is what happens when you have no ppl of color in a room. Particularly in a time like this. This ad campaign got so caught up in this ‘clever’ play on words and this stunt, the ppl in the room missed what was so blatantly obvious to anyone not White.”
“It’s giving Subtle 1930s Germany,” another added.
Despite the backlash, American Eagle’s stock jumped by as much as 16%. Analysts said the spike was likely due to meme stock behavior, with online traders on sites like Reddit and Stocktwits driving the surge, not the company’s actual performance, according to Salon.
Sydney Sweeney Campaign Fuels American Eagle Rally
Sydney Sweeney stars in American Eagle’s latest advertising campaign. (Photo courtesy of American Eagle)
American Eagle Outfitters surged 16% Thursday after unveiling a new denim campaign with Sydney Sweeney, as the apparel retailer bets on the “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” actress to reignite sales and reconnect with Gen Z shoppers.
In a campaign called “Sydney Sweeney Has Great (American Eagle) Jeans,” the company partnered with Sweeney for its fall season denim collection that includes a limited-edition denim jacket as well as a “The Sydney Jean.”
The campaign is American Eagle’s latest effort to drive up demand as the company navigates muted consumer spending and potential price hikes due to tariffs.
The retail industry in the United States has been struggling to spur demand as consumers grappling with financial constraints cut back on non-essential buys, including apparel and accessories.
In May, American Eagle pulled its annual forecasts due to tariff uncertainty, with the company primarily sourcing from China.
The Sweeney partnership is not the first time a celebrity tie-up has helped drive shares of a company. In 2020, Crocs shares jumped after singer Justin Bieber teased a collaboration with the shoe maker.
American Eagle has also previously teamed up with celebrities, including tennis player Coco Gauff and actress Jenna Ortega.
Sweeney’s campaign, which launched on Wednesday and is reportedly the company’s most expensive campaign to date, will also run across the exosphere of Las Vegas’s 3D display orb Sphere.
Short interest in the company, whose shares were trading at $12.55 before the bell on Thursday, stood at 12.2% of public float, according to LSEG data.
The stock was the fourth-most trending ticker on Stocktwits, a social media platform for retail investors, indicating interest from individual traders who have boosted shares of retailer Kohl’s and other highly shorted names in recent days.
Some Slam American Eagle Ad With Sydney Sweeney as ‘Racist’
By Zoe Papadakis | Tuesday, 29 July 2025 03:25 PM EDT
