After its latest ad campaign featuring Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney sparked outrage — with critics bizarrely accusing the brand of promoting “eugenics” — the clothing retailer is addressing the backlash head-on.
“This is yet another example of how social media is just not reflective of real life,” an American Eagle rep told TMZ on July 30. “The absurd response from some corners of the internet is absolutely not reflective of how American Eagle’s customers feel.”
The brand even cited internal polling showing 71% of respondents found the commercial appealing, countering the narrative that outrage was widespread. “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,” the rep continued. “Anything beyond that is noise that is not registering with the average person.”
The company also emphasized that, regardless of opinions on the ad, they hope everyone can agree on “doing more to support and empower those who are experiencing domestic violence.”
The ads, which dropped July 23, featured Sweeney — along with her dog Sully Bear — modeling American Eagle denim in a sultry, tongue-in-cheek campaign. One clip even had Sweeney quip, “Eyes up here,” poking fun at the attention she draws. The brand paired the imagery with the slogan: “Sydney Sweeney has good genes,” swapping “genes” for “jeans.”
That wordplay — along with highlighting Sweeney’s blonde hair, blue eyes, and all-American look — set off some corners of social media, where users claimed the campaign evoked “Nazi propaganda” and “eugenics.” Others called it a male-targeted ad that didn’t resonate with women.
Some critics even drew comparisons to Brooke Shields’ infamous 1980 Calvin Klein ad, which stirred controversy for sexualizing the then-15-year-old model.
But for all the noise online, American Eagle’s data paints a different picture: most customers liked the campaign, and sales are likely to reflect that.
This isn’t Sweeney’s first foray into controversial advertising, either. Earlier this year, she drew headlines for her limited-edition Dr. Squatch soap promotion — which jokingly included her “bathwater.”
