‘Euphoria’ Star Sydney Sweeney Appears to Address Novig Ad Backlash in an Unexpected Way – By Posting Images of Naked Athletes
Sydney Sweeney appears to be responding to the backlash surrounding her latest Novig advertising campaign without directly addressing the criticism head-on. Instead, the actress has seemingly chosen a visual response that shifts the conversation back toward athletes, sports, and the physical demands behind them.
Sweeney’s latest partnership with Novig has already become one of the more talked-about celebrity advertising campaigns of the month. The actress appears in the company’s “Just Sports” campaign promoting its sports-only prediction market, with the deliberately provocative marketing built around the idea that Novig focuses exclusively on sports rather than politics or other events.
The controversy intensified after viewers criticized the campaign for using Sweeney’s heavily sexualized imagery to market a sports-related trading platform. Sweeney has seemingly responded by sharing photos of athletes associated with ESPN’s ‘Body Issue,’ a move that appears designed to put the spotlight on athletic bodies rather than the controversy surrounding her own campaign.
The Novig campaign debuted on September 9 and features Sweeney posing with sports equipment representing activities including football, basketball, hockey, tennis, soccer, and baseball. The actress uses the equipment and uniforms to maintain coverage while delivering the campaign’s central message about Novig being focused on “just sports.”
Sweeney is also more than a conventional celebrity spokesperson in this arrangement. She joined Novig as an equity partner and participated in the creative development of the campaign, telling Complex that she does not simply want to put her face on a project and prefers to become involved in the creative process.
That involvement makes the reaction particularly notable. The campaign was clearly designed to be provocative and attention-grabbing, but some viewers have argued that its reliance on Sweeney’s body distracts from the sports-focused message Novig says it wants to promote. Women working in sports have also joined the criticism, according to The Hollywood Reporter Japan.
ESPN’s ‘Body Issue’ has historically presented athletes through photography that emphasizes the physicality, strength, vulnerability, and individuality of sporting bodies. ESPN describes the project as a platform that has featured more than 200 athletes and explored what bodies can accomplish across different sports.
That context makes Sweeney’s apparent social-media response especially interesting. Rather than posting a lengthy statement defending the Novig campaign, she seemingly chose imagery centered on athletes who have previously used ESPN’s platform to discuss their bodies and careers.
It also creates an intriguing contrast with the criticism surrounding the Novig advertisement. While detractors have questioned whether Sweeney’s campaign reduces sports imagery to sexualized marketing, the ‘Body Issue’ has traditionally framed athletic nudity around performance, physical ability, personal stories, and the realities of professional competition.
The latest debate arrives after Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign generated its own major controversy over its use of the “great jeans” and “great genes” wordplay. Critics argued that some of the imagery and language carried uncomfortable implications, while the company maintained that the campaign was about its jeans and celebrating how people wear them.
That history means the Novig campaign is being viewed through an increasingly familiar lens. Sweeney has become a major advertising presence in addition to her acting career, and her willingness to participate in provocative campaigns has repeatedly produced both strong engagement and heated criticism.
For Novig, however, the strategy has undeniably generated attention. The campaign has circulated widely across social media, while Sweeney’s involvement as an equity partner gives her a financial stake in the company’s success beyond the traditional celebrity endorsement model.
Whether the ESPN ‘Body Issue’ photos represent a deliberate rebuttal, a playful continuation of the conversation, or simply Sweeney sharing imagery she finds interesting remains unclear. For now, the actress has not publicly explained the apparent connection, leaving fans and critics to interpret the move for themselves.
What do you think of Sydney Sweeney’s apparent response to the Novig backlash?
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