American Eagle Addresses Controversy Surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s “Great Jeans” Ad
American Eagle has addressed the backlash regarding their campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney.
The brand shared their response on Instagram on Friday, August 1, following the negative reactions to Sweeney, 27, who posed seductively in their denim while claiming she has “great jeans.”
“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the statement expressed. “Her jeans. Her story.”
Additionally, they stated, “We’ll keep celebrating how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their unique style. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Fans had mixed reactions to the brand’s message in the comments section.
“Say ‘sorry not sorry’ without saying ‘sorry not sorry,’” one user commented. Another added, “Oop this was not the reply.” Meanwhile, others expressed support, writing, “This is so good 👏 no apologies needed.”
The statement from American Eagle follows significant backlash concerning their campaign, where Sweeney remarked on how wonderful her “jeans” are while alluding to the double meaning of “genes.”
In one clip, Sweeney stated, “My body’s composition is determined by my genes,” as the camera zoomed in on her cleavage. “Hey, eyes up here,” she quipped. A narrator then remarked, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
In another campaign video, she replicated Brooke Shields’ iconic 1980s Calvin Klein ad while adjusting her pants on the ground. In this instance, she conveyed a message about how “the secret of life lies in the genetic code,” referencing Shields’ original line about genes being essential in defining individual qualities and their transmission to future generations.
These ads ignited discussions around eugenics, a discredited ideology that sought to enhance human genetics and is historically linked with the Nazi regime and white supremacy.
Sydney Sweeney was eager to make a bold statement with her American Eagle campaign. “During a Zoom call with Sydney, we asked her, ‘How far do you want to push it?’ Without hesitation, she smirked and replied, ‘Let’s push it, I’m game,’” noted Ashley Schapiro, the brand’s vice president of marketing, media, performance, and engagement.
In another advertisement, Sweeney joked about the color of her pants and her eye color, stating, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
Social media users expressed their views on this statement, commenting on X, “Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle promoting eugenics and pushing Aryan race Nazi propaganda was not on my 2025 bingo card.” Another remarked, “American Eagle needs to remove those Sydney Sweeney ads. They are genuinely unsettling.”
As of now, Sweeney has not responded to the ad. Us Weekly reached out for comment but has not yet received a response.
