Despite the intense backlash, American Eagle Outfitters’ new Sydney Sweeney “good jeans” ad campaign has been deemed “appealing” in polls.
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In the ad, Sweeney is seen donning a denim-on-denim outfit. “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring,” she explained as she buttons her pants. “Often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color.”
She then stated, “My jeans are blue.”
Not long after the ad’s debut, some critics accused American Eagle of using Sweeney as the symbol of “good genes,” pointing out she is blonde, thin, attractive, and blue-eyed.
Other critics pointed out the use of “genes” instead of “jeans” while Sweeney was discussing hair and eye color. They are even accusing American Eagle of using the Sweeney ad for “Nazi propoganda” and “white supremacy.”
However, sources close to the situation told TMZ that the ad campaign is actually creating “tremendous buzz,” with the clothing brand’s independent polling showing 70% of people finding Sweeney’s commercial “appealing.”
“This is yet another example of how social media is just not reflective of real life,” one insider told the media outlet. “The absurd response from some corners of the internet is absolutely not reflective of how American Eagle’s customers feel.”
They then noted, “The bottom line is that this was about creating a great pair of jeans and supporting a very worthy cause through some of the proceeds going to domestic violence prevention. Anything beyond that is noise that is not registering with the average person.”
The Internet Reacts to the American Eagle Sydney Sweeney Ad
Meanwhile, many critics and supporters alike have their thoughts about the American Eagle Sydney Sweeney ad.
Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly brought politics into the discussion by claiming the “left” is outraged by the ad. “I love how the leftists meltdown over the Sydney Sweeney ad has only resulted in a beautiful white blonde girl with blue eyes getting 1000x the exposure for her ‘good genes.'”
Doja Cat even mocked Sweeney for the ad by using a ridiculous accent to make the actress sound unintelligent. “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color,” she said. “My jeans are blew.”
White House communications manager Steven Cheung also spoke out about the backlash. “Cancel culture run amok,” he wrote. “This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is the big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They’re tired of this bullsh–.”
Marcus Collin, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, spoke about the backlash. He told ABC News that the criticism could have been avoided if the ads had featured models of various races. He believes that would have proven the point of the ad campaign’s “genes” pun.
“You can either say this was ignorance, or this was laziness, or say that this is intentional,” Collins explained. “Either one of the three aren’t good.”