Controversy sparked by jeans advertisement campaign - Controversial jean advertising sparks public outcry
Sydney Sweeney's latest ad campaign for American Eagle's fall collection has found itself in the midst of controversy. The campaign, titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," has been criticised for promoting racially insensitive messaging and evoking Nazi propaganda imagery or ideology.
The controversy stems from the tagline and a promotional clip where the word "jeans" is dramatically crossed out and replaced, which some interpret as a nod to fascist or Nazi visual rhetoric. The campaign, initially intended as playful and fashion-forward, has sparked backlash for these associations.
Online, Sweeney has been accused of objectifying herself and promoting blonde hair and blue eyes as genetic excellence, which has historical associations with racist ideology. However, neither American Eagle nor Sweeney have publicly addressed these allegations.
One TikTok user stated, "This is nothing but a revival of pseudoscientific language about 'racial' superiority." Another added, "When these traits are continually portrayed as genetic excellence, we know where that leads from history."
Despite the controversy, the campaign has been financially successful. The increase in American Eagle's stocks is attributed to Sweeney's popularity as a Hollywood "It Girl" and the viral impact of the ad campaign. However, the negative reception is documented in prominent media coverage focusing on the political and racial sensitivity of the messaging.
Two months prior to this incident, Sweeney was heavily criticized for a PR stunt involving a soap company and her bathwater. Online, she was accused of objectifying herself. In another clip from the current campaign, Sweeney lies on her back and pulls up her jeans while a voiceover discusses inheritable traits, further fuelling the controversy.
It is unclear whether the controversy surrounding the ad campaign is an unfortunate PR misstep or a deliberate provocation. Regardless, the backlash against Sweeney's latest campaign for American Eagle continues to grow.
[1] References: Prominent media coverage focusing on the political and racial sensitivity of the messaging.
I'm not gonna be able to get to the bottom of this: whether Sydney Sweeney's latest campaign for American Eagle purposefully evokes pop-culture references to entertainment celebrities and their ties to racial insensitivity or if it's merely an unfortunate PR misstep. The campaign's controversial tagline and imagery hint at potential links to Nazi propaganda, and some argue that Sweeney's portrayal contributes to the promotion of harmful ideologies surrounding blonde hair and blue eyes.
