American Eagle Breaks Silence on Controversial Sydney Sweeney Jeans Ad

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American Eagle is speaking out. 

The apparel brand, which stirred up debate due to its advertising featuring Sydney Sweeney, has responded to the criticism that suggests the brand was endorsing eugenics through a clever combination of “jeans” and “genes.

In a post on Instagram on August 1st, American Eagle said that the statement “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” was and will always be about her jeans. They want to highlight her personal journey and how they celebrate the unique ways people wear their American Eagle (AE) jeans with confidence. Their message is that good jeans look amazing on everyone.

In the previous month, an employee from the White House also voiced their thoughts regarding the discussions about the advertisement. Specifically, the Director of Communications, Steven Cheung, penned down on July 29th, “The excesses of cancel culture have taken over.

Sydney generally steers clear of the fray, contributing little more than a solitary campaign post on her Instagram feed, while continuing to share her usual content featuring her pets and daily life.

The advertisements debuted on July 23 showcased Sweeney and her German shepherd Sully Bear in a series of videos and pictures. These promotional materials presented Sweeney wearing the brand’s denim, which was portrayed in a very sensual manner; one video even contained a humorous moment where the camera moved down her body while she quipped, “keep your eyes up here.” The actress from ‘Anyone But You’ made this comment.

A significant point of contention regarding the advertising campaign is that it seemed to target men to promote women’s jeans, even though a variety of both male and female clothing were showcased. As expressed by one social media user on American Eagle’s Instagram post from July 23, “This wasn’t the right choice, AE. We expected and desired something NEW and DIFFERENT for women.

In a different approach, some observed the brand humorously by twisting the phrase “Sydney Sweeney has good genes,” replacing the last word with “jeans.” Given that Sweeney is fair-skinned, blonde, and blue-eyed, which was subtly referenced in one since-deleted version of the ad, critics accused the brand of endorsing “eugenics” and “Nazi ideology.

On social media, some people found the advertisement to be strikingly similar to a 1980s Calvin Klein ad featuring Brooke Shields, which also utilized the same homophone and stirred up debate. In an interview with Vogue in 2021, Shields herself admitted feeling “naive” for being involved in that campaign at the age of 15.

Despite acknowledging some residual pride, Shields concedes that the legendary advertising campaign continues to be a cultural touchstone, still referenced today.

In an interview with Vogue, she remarked, “The dispute ended up working against us. Initially, our campaign took off magnificently, but eventually, the sales of undergarments surpassed those of denim.

Previously, Sweeney herself wasn’t new to generating dialogue for advertisements. When she joined forces with Dr. Squash soap for a brief promotional period in June, using her personal bathwater and sparking debate among her followers, it wasn’t the first time this occurred.

Sweeney shared with TopMob News that he proposed the concept back then,” said Sweeney, choosing not to reveal any further details, further mentioning, “I find it more entertaining to watch others discuss it.

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2025-08-01 22:48