American Eagle has officially weighed in on the controversy surrounding its latest ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The campaign, which has been the subject of widespread debate and criticism across social media, prompted the brand to release a statement on its official Instagram account.
The ad campaign’s tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” has been at the heart of the discussion. Many critics have pointed out the wordplay between “jeans” and “genes,” arguing that the campaign’s focus on Sweeney, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman, has problematic undertones.
The conversation was fueled by a now-deleted video where Sweeney is heard saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.” This particular ad, which some felt was a direct reference to eugenics, was widely shared and dissected online.
In response, American Eagle doubled down on its message. The company’s statement read, in part: “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
The statement, however, has not quelled the conversation, with some users praising the brand for its stance while others continue to express disappointment with the lack of a more direct apology or acknowledgment of the specific criticisms.
The campaign’s intent, according to American Eagle’s chief marketing officer, was to be “clever, even provocative,” and it appears to have succeeded in generating a significant amount of buzz. However, this buzz has been decidedly mixed. On one hand, the campaign has reportedly led to a short-term boost in the company’s stock. On the other hand, it has created a PR firestorm, with some critics questioning the brand’s social awareness and commitment to inclusivity.
Moreover, the controversy has drawn comparisons to past ad campaigns that have generated similar outrage, such as Brooke Shields‘ provocative 1980s Calvin Klein ads. Ultimately, this latest development highlights a growing trend where brands must navigate a landscape where a simple play on words can be interpreted in vastly different ways, leading to intense online scrutiny and debate.
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