American Eagle has issued an official response following the controversy surrounding the “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” advert marketing campaign. The adverts featured Sweeney discussing genetics: “Genes are passed down… My jeans are blue,” earlier than a narrator quips, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” The marketing campaign’s “jeans/genes” wordplay set social media ablaze, accusing the model and Sweeney of echoing racialized magnificence requirements and even eugenic undertones.
Some argued the marketing campaign evokes disturbing associations with white supremacy, particularly given Sweeney’s truthful options and the nod to inherited traits within the advert. Consultants in cultural research known as out the marketing campaign as “tone-deaf,” noting a similarity to propaganda-style imagery. In the meantime, conservative voices praised AE for rejecting “woke” advertising and marketing.
Per The Hollywood Reporter X account, American Eagle issued an official Instagram assertion defending the adverts and reiterating its intent to have a good time “Her jeans. Her story” and that “Great jeans look good on everyone.” Test it out beneath:
What This Means For Sydney Sweeney
American Eagle’s protection demonstrates how branding strikes quick within the age of social media, as even a reversible pun can result in accusations of symbolic messaging. The corporate insists the marketing campaign was constructed to have a good time; nevertheless, their choice to neither totally retract nor double down, as a substitute choosing selective clarification, suggests they noticed worth within the controversy.
Sydney Sweeney has but to publicly handle the political controversy, and the backlash has reignited consideration to her 2024 Republican voter registration as seen in The Guardian. Her silence has solely added gas to hypothesis round her cultural alignment, leaving the general public to attract their very own conclusions.
Whereas Sydney Sweeney’s motion pictures, like her rom-com Anybody However You might have confirmed her field workplace bankability (that moive grossed $220 million thanks to a different viral advertising and marketing marketing campaign that labored with youthful audiences), this example locations her beneath a unique sort of scrutiny that is formed much less by expertise and extra by public alignment.
Whether or not this impacts Sweeney’s profession long-term stays to be seen, however the controversy could affect public notion as she takes on higher-profile roles. With Ron Howard’s Eden and Euphoria already on her resume and several other upcoming initiatives on the horizon, manufacturers and studios could start to weigh the optics of casting somebody on the middle of a political firestorm.
Our Take On The Nice Denims Marketing campaign
American Eagle’s controversial method proves simply how dangerous it’s to depend on ambiguity in promoting. A pun is just humorous till somebody sees an agenda, and whereas Sweeney is a rising star (with a $40 million web price) and the marketing campaign delivered simple outcomes, the fallout reveals how simply jokes can land poorly in politically charged climates.
If Sweeney continues to keep away from commenting, she dangers alienating a portion of her fan base that expects transparency from public figures. Nevertheless, Hollywood has a protracted historical past of dealing with backlash, and her continued success will possible finally rely upon the power of her performances and the way properly her crew manages her public picture going ahead.
Supply: The Hollywood Reporter / X
Birthdate
September 12, 1997
Birthplace
Spokane, Washington, USA
