American Eagle is standing by its fall denim campaign starring Euphoria and Anyone But You star Sydney Sweeney after a wave of criticism accused the ads of leaning into racially coded language and imagery.
The campaign hinges on a pun: Sweeney talks about inherited traits before a male voiceover says, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
In some ads, “genes” is crossed out and replaced with “jeans.” What AE framed as playful wordplay struck a nerve with critics, who argued it echoed historic eugenics rhetoric, particularly given the ad’s focus on her physical appearance like her blond hair and blue eyes.
Social media reaction was swift, with detractors calling it “tone‑deaf” and “Nazi‑coded,” while supporters, especially conservative commentators, praised the joke and dismissed the outrage as performative.
On Friday, American Eagle posted a statement to Instagram defending the campaign: “This is about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story,” the company wrote, adding, “Great jeans look good on everyone.” The retailer noted that proceeds from Sweeney’s campaign will go to Crisis Text Line to help victims of domestic violence.
Sweeney herself has stayed silent. Still, the uproar has boosted visibility for the brand, driving spikes in online engagement and even a reported uptick in AE’s stock price — suggesting that in the culture‑war economy, controversy can be as valuable as the clothes themselves.
