American Eagle defends Sydney Sweeney campaign amid backlash over 'jeans/genes' wordplay

American Eagle responds to Sydney Sweeney Jeans controversy

American Eagle has addressed the growing controversy surrounding its latest campaign featuring Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney, which has come under fire for its tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”

The campaign, initially launched last week, sparked debate online due to what some critics interpreted as a play on the homonym between “jeans” and “genes.”

In particular, a teaser video — which appeared on the brand’s Facebook page and other social media platforms — drew the most scrutiny. In the clip, Sweeney says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.” While the video is not part of the official campaign, many viewed the messaging as problematic.

Some critics alleged that the language and tone of the video alluded — intentionally or otherwise — to themes associated with eugenics, a widely discredited theory centred on improving humanity through selective breeding.

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A few even claimed that the aesthetics and phrasing bore uncomfortable similarities to white supremacist propaganda.

Others, however, pushed back against these interpretations, suggesting that the backlash was overblown and that the message was simply a tongue-in-cheek play on words.

Responding to the controversy, American Eagle released an official statement defending the campaign’s intent. “'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans,” the company reiterated, adding: “Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.”

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This marks the company’s first public response since the campaign launched and quickly drew mixed reactions. In pre-launch interviews, American Eagle’s chief marketing officer had described the campaign as featuring “clever, even provocative language” and noted that it was “definitely going to push buttons.” It remains unclear whether the brand anticipated the extent of the backlash.

Some marketing experts argue the attention may actually work in the brand’s favour. “If you try to follow all the rules, you'll make lots of people happy, but you'll fail,” said Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing consultancy Metaforce. “The rocket won't take off.”