Controversial marketing campaign by American Eagle featuring Sydney Sweeney sparks discussion on racial and aesthetic ideals in advertising
American Eagle Outfitters, the U.S. fashion retailer, has launched a new advertising campaign featuring 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney. The campaign, titled "Great Genes," has sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to "woke" American politics and culture.
The advertising campaign includes "clever, even provocative language" and was "definitely going to push buttons." Videos of Sweeney wearing slouchy jeans in various settings, 3-D billboards in Times Square and elsewhere, Snapchat and Instagram appearances, and an AI-enabled try-on feature are all part of the campaign.
However, the campaign has faced backlash due to the phrase "Sydney Sweeney has great genes." Some viewers interpreted the phrase literally and critically, seeing it as evoking or unintentionally referencing ideas of genetics, heredity, and even eugenics—topics loaded with historical and social sensitivities. Critics on social media and TikTok noted that the advertising wording vaguely echoed themes tied to genetic superiority and white supremacy, causing discomfort, especially given the lack of clear context that the campaign was about denim jeans and not genetics.
It's important to clarify that American Eagle's intent was to focus on great-fitting, stylish jeans endorsed by Sydney Sweeney—reinforcing their status as the leading jeans brand among Gen Z consumers—rather than making any genetic or social statements. The controversy arose largely due to the homophone "genes/jeans" and the cultural sensitivity around discussions of genetics, not due to an explicit message in the campaign itself.
Marketing experts offer mixed opinions on whether the attention surrounding the "Great Genes" campaign will be good for American Eagle's business. Marcus Collins, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, stated that the criticism could have been avoided if the ads showed models of various races making the "genes" pun.
The controversy comes at a time when many U.S. companies are making efforts to make their advertising better reflect consumers of all races, following the demonstrations following the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis. However, some marketers have observed a shift since President Donald Trump returned to office and moved to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies.
Despite the controversy, American Eagle's stock closed more than 4% up a day after Sweeney was announced as the company's latest celebrity collaborator. The company is currently wrestling with sluggish consumer spending and higher costs from tariffs.
In a separate development, American Eagle plans to launch a limited edition Sydney jean to raise awareness of domestic violence, with sales proceeds going to a nonprofit crisis counseling service.
The teaser video for the American Eagle campaign features Sydney Sweeney saying "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue." However, it's worth noting that this teaser video is not part of the official advertising campaign.
The Sweeney campaign shares a lineage with Calvin Klein jeans ads from 1980 that featured a suggestive double entendre and a young model. However, the current controversy highlights the need for advertisers to be more mindful of the cultural and historical sensitivities surrounding certain words and phrases.
References:
- Newsweek
- The Cut
- The Guardian
- The "Great Genes" advertising campaign by American Eagle Outfitters, featuring actor Sydney Sweeney, has sparked a debate about race and Western beauty standards in the fashion industry.
- The campaign's phrase, "Sydney Sweeney has great genes," has been criticized for evoking genetic superiority and white supremacy, despite American Eagle's intention to focus on great-fitting jeans.
- Marketing experts suggest the controversy could lead to increased attention for American Eagle's business, but the use of a potentially sensitive phrase was avoidable with more diverse representation in the ads.
- This backlash comes at a time when many U.S. companies are making efforts to improve racial representation in their advertising, following the demonstrations after the 2020 killing of George Floyd.
- The controversy has not affected American Eagle's stock, which closed more than 4% up the day after Sweeney was announced as their latest celebrity collaborator.
- American Eagle also plans to launch a limited edition Sydney jean to raise awareness of domestic violence, with sales proceeds going to a nonprofit crisis counseling service.
- In the past, American Eagle's advertising campaigns have shares similarities with Calvin Klein jeans ads from 1980, but the more recent controversy highlights the need for advertisers to be more mindful of cultural and historical sensitivities surrounding certain words and phrases.
