American Eagle Stands by Sydney Sweeney Ad Despite Racism and Eugenics Backlash

Sydney Sweeney is everywhere these days, starring in movies and showing up in ads. But her latest campaign with American Eagle sparked a big reaction online.

The ad features Sydney lying on a couch, trying to button her jeans while saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… My genes are blue.” Then a voice says, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” Many people on social media didn’t like this.

Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle, oh my god. pic.twitter.com/tDkeGT9R7G

— Sydney Sweeney Daily (@sweeneydailyx) July 24, 2025

They said the ad sounded like it was talking about “genes” in a way that felt old-fashioned and even promoted ideas tied to eugenics because Sydney is blonde with blue eyes.

American Eagle said their campaign, called “Sydney Jean,” supports causes like mental health and domestic violence awareness through the Crisis Text Line. But lots of people felt the sexy shots of Sydney didn’t match the serious topics the campaign said it wanted to help.

The ad also got attention from some conservative groups, with Fox News calling it an “anti-woke” statement. This only made critics more upset, thinking the campaign missed the mark completely.

Despite the controversy, Sydney Sweeney is becoming a major star for brands. American Eagle’s stock jumped 17% the day after the campaign launched, adding about $400 million to the company’s value, Quartz reported.

After days without commenting, American Eagle finally spoke out on Instagram about the backlash. They said the ad was all about the jeans — “Her jeans. Her story.” The company added, “We’ll keep celebrating how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, in their own way. Great jeans look good on everyone.” The campaign seems to be a nod to Brooke Shields’ famous 1980 Calvin Klein ad, which was also controversial at the time.

Social media users weren’t impressed with American Eagle’s explanation. Many mocked the wordplay between “jeans” and “genes,” saying it came off as confusing or tone-deaf. Some called the company’s statement a classic “I’m sorry you feel that way” response and accused them of avoiding the real problem. Others wondered what “her story” really meant or if the campaign even had a clear message.

The debate is still going strong online, with lots of people asking what the ad was really trying to say.

If you have thoughts on this, feel free to share them in the comments!