American Eagle Outfitters has come under fire for a recent promotional video starring actress Sydney Sweeney. The advertisement features a play on words that promotes Sweeney’s “great jeans,” which critics have deemed a promotion of eugenics.
On July 23, actress Sydney Sweeney, known for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus, posted videos of herself featuring in an American Eagle advertisement.
Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle, oh my god. pic.twitter.com/tDkeGT9R7G
— Sydney Sweeney Daily (@sweeneydailyx) July 24, 2025
Sweeney, sporting American Eagle blue jeans, says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
The advertisement went viral, becoming controversial when critics claimed that the play on words between jeans and genes promoted eugenics, a discredited theory dictating that a populations’ genetic composition can be “improved” with selective breeding.
Supporters of the advertisement took to social media to defend Sweeney and American Eagle. On August 4, President Donald Trump praised Sweeney on Truth Social, stating, “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there. It’s for American Eagle, and the jeans are ‘flying off the shelves.’ Go get ‘em Sydney!”
In response to the controversy, American Eagle posted a statement on Instagram in defense of the ad. They claimed that it has “always been about the jeans.”
Despite the statement, tensions between critics and defenders of the advertisement continue to rise.
What are critics saying?
Those who spoke negatively about Sweeney’s ad described multiple points of major criticism: the nod to genetics, the reference to a similarly controversial jeans advertisement from the 80s, and the sexual themes.
Critics took to social media to express their disapproval of the way Sweeney discussed genetics. Some accused her of white supremacy and Nazi propaganda because of her reference to “blue jeans” (genes).
@yorlatinawellness These brands have always pumped out soft propaganda but not they are just more blunt about it because they feel safe. #sydneysweeney #eugenics #propaganda #altrightpipeline #medialiteracy ♬ original sound – 
Others pointed out that American Eagle’s marketing campaign echoes themes from a controversial 1980 Calvin Klein commercial. While both ads mentioned genes as wordplay for jeans, the original ad received backlash for featuring a minor, 15-year-old Brooke Shields, in a sexual way.
Sweeney also faced backlash for the sexual nature of her advertisement. In another version of the promotional video, Sweeney displays her figure. She says, “I definitely won’t say that they’re the most comfortable jeans that I’ve ever worn, or that they make your butt look amazing.”
In one Reddit thread, viewers discussed more reasons why they believed the ad was facing so much backlash–many pointing out American Eagle’s failure to successfully appeal to the ad’s target audience: women. Comments under the thread state: “she’s using a really weird heavy vocal fry voice that a lot of women find deeply grating,” “This is the commercial equivalent of high school beauty politics and women hate that,” and “the commercial gave me the ick and doesn’t seem to be directed at the buyer.”
What are supporters saying?
As criticism for the ad rose, some came to the defense of Sweeney and American Eagle, arguing that critics were overreacting and promoting cancel culture.
One Reddit user pointed out that the CEO of American Eagle, Jay Schottenstein, was Jewish: “The ad is very straightforward as a promotion for American Eagle jeans, which is a Jewish-owned brand. Why would a Jewish-owned brand be actively advocating and supporting Nazism?”
Additionally, right-wing supporters of the ad have taken an “anti-woke” approach.
On July 29, Steven Cheung, spokesperson for President Donald Trump, posted a statement on Twitter. He called criticism of the promotional campaign “warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking.”
Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They're tired of this bullshit. pic.twitter.com/He7Ji6O3VF
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) July 29, 2025
One week later, Trump posted his own statement publicly backing Sweeney on Truth Social. The announcement came after The Guardian stated that public voter reports reveal Sweeney as a registered republican voter.
Sweeney’s political alignment, along with the politicization of American Eagle’s advertisement by all sides, has heightened the discourse surrounding the controversy.
So, what was American Eagle’s intention?
While both sides of the internet controversy hash it out, a question arises as to why American Eagle’s marketing team green-lit the Sydney Sweeney advertisement in the first place.
One TikTok user and entrepreneur argued that American Eagle utilized a marketing strategy called “narrative arbitrage,” which is an effort to purposefully create controversy and exploit public discourse in order to get short-term brand value.
@bee.better.company A deep dive into The Downfall of Sydney Sweeney, and American Eagles calculated plan to manufacture relevance through outrage. #sydneysweeney #sydney #sweeney #marketing101 #downfall #beebetter #deepdive #videoessay #trending #mba #longvideo #euphoria #americaneagle #controversy #jeans #marketing #pr ♬ original sound – Bee better
Additionally, in a Washington Post podcast with fashion critic Rachel Tashjian and Style Memo writer Shane O’Neill, the pair discussed the marketing strategy used by American Eagle.
“Enter the Möbius strip of outrage, dismissal of the outrage, outrage at the dismissal of the outrage … and eventually a huge bump in stock for American Eagle.”
-Shane O’Neill, Writer of the Washington Post Style Memo newsletter
They both observed how the stirring up of controversy has led to short-term gains for the company, something reflected in the stock market. According to CNBC, American Eagle’s stock jumped after the initial advertisement. Following a short period of decline in the face of controversy, shares jumped once more by 23% after Trump’s Truth Social statement.
Regardless of whether American Eagle intended to stir up discourse or not, the brand has gained a level of viral attention that has put their name in people’s minds.
The promotion has also delivered a clear message to other brands and consumers alike: When controversy sells, it sells hard.
