American Eagle’s response to viral ad backlash exposed.
American Eagle doubled down on their fall campaign starring Sydney Sweeney despite fierce online backlash over the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
Origins of campaign profiled.
But let’s rewind to the backstory behind this campaign’s creation, where AE sought to blend playful wordplay with a confident denim vibe.
The idea reportedly started with AE’s creative team aiming for a catchy phrase that combined Sydney’s star power with denim pride.
Molly Dickson, the stylist, had long wanted to showcase oversized denim looks that channel relaxed confidence.
AE aimed to appeal to Gen Z’s love for authentic storytelling — or so the pitch said internally.
However, what seemed clever in the boardroom became a lightning rod once the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” aired repeatedly.
Sydney Sweeney’s jeans campaign revealed.
The campaign, launched July 23, showcased Sweeney in multiple denim looks styled by Molly Dickson, from matching jackets to oversized light-wash jeans.
It wasn’t the fashion that caused uproar, but the narration in a now-deleted clip that set social media ablaze.
In the clip, Sweeney states: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
A narrator then adds, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” repeating the tagline in a way some found tone-deaf or worse.
The pun between “jeans” and “genes” struck a nerve, as many pointed to its uncomfortable eugenics undertones, especially given Sweeney’s blonde hair and blue eyes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the National Institute of Health defines eugenics as “the use of selective breeding to improve the human race”—a charge critics say the campaign inadvertently echoes.
Some insiders claim the campaign missed a cultural sensitivity review step before launch.
Sources say AE underestimated how the “genes/jeans” pun would resonate, especially amid heightened awareness of racial issues.
The backlash exploded further on TikTok, where Columbia University physician Sayantani DasGupta shared a video dissecting the ad, garnering nearly 4 million views.
Backlash for controversial ad highlighted.
DasGupta said the campaign was “one of the loudest and most obvious racialized dog whistles we’ve seen in a while.”
Some TikTok users likened the ad to Brooke Shields’ provocative 1980 Calvin Klein campaign, accusing AE of catering to the male gaze.
AE’s official TikTok page flooded with comments like “We will NEVER purchase from this company ever again.”
Another commenter grimly mused: “Can brand survive off eugenics loving audience alone?”
Fashion critic Rachel Tashjian called the tagline “bizarre” in The Washington Post, questioning if the message was about identity or simply denim.
She asked, “Are they saying you’re assigned a denim style at birth and must never waver?”—a sharp jab at the ad’s confusing message.
Meanwhile, some TikTok users dismissed the outrage as overblown, with one saying, “Y’all are mad at Sydney because she’s white and blue-eyed.”
“The hate is exhausting,” another user declared, highlighting the polarizing nature of the conversation.
On other platforms like Instagram and Facebook, American Eagle has received more positive responses from fans defending the brand.
American Eagle’s defiant statement confirmed.
On August 1, American Eagle posted a statement on Instagram clarifying their stance: “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.”
The brand promised to “celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.”
Yet, the response was as divisive as the ad, with some saying the reply was “even worse than the ad.”
Others applauded AE for not backing down: “Ignore the negativity. Brilliant ad,” one user wrote.
Despite online storms, AE’s stock surged 10% post-campaign, reportedly boosting market value by over $200 million, per Vanity Fair.
Sydney Sweeney keeps quiet as backlash rages.
Sweeney herself has remained silent amid the storm, despite her rising profile and past candid comments about loving AE jeans.
The Euphoria star described AE denim as “the comfiest jeans I’ve ever worn” in earlier interviews with PEOPLE.
As brands brace for fallout, this campaign might be remembered as one of the most polarizing marketing moves of 2025.