Actor Sydney Sweeney debuted a new ad for American Eagle’s new fall campaign. After the ad surfaced on social media, the actor found herself at the centre of a political firestorm online, where many drew accusations of racial undertones in the tagline, which went as, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” Many accused the campaign as tone-deaf as the pun on ‘genes’ has been historically used to celebrate whiteness and attractiveness. (Also read: How Sydney Sweeney earned a jeans brand $400 million in a day: Behind the insane American Eagle rally)
Doja Cat's dig at the campaign
On Tuesday, singer Doja Cat shared a TikTok video of herself where she took a savage dig at Sydney Sweeney's jeans campaign. Doja spoke the lines that were originally said by Sydney in the ad, but in a heavy southern American accent. She spoke directly at the camera and said, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye-color. My jeans are blee [blue]!”
More details about the campaign
A promotional video for the campaign showed The White Lotus actor approaching a billboard that initially read “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.” She then paints over the word “genes” and replaces it with “jeans.” Critics have slammed the campaign for its tone-deaf messaging, one that rebrands conservative cultural take and which upholds traditional white American beauty standards.
{{/usCountry}}A promotional video for the campaign showed The White Lotus actor approaching a billboard that initially read “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.” She then paints over the word “genes” and replaces it with “jeans.” Critics have slammed the campaign for its tone-deaf messaging, one that rebrands conservative cultural take and which upholds traditional white American beauty standards.
{{/usCountry}}Neither Sydney nor American Eagle have addressed the backlash publicly.
On their official website, American Eagle pointed out why Sydney was the perfect fit for the campaign. An excerpt from the statement read, “The curated denim wardrobe feels distinctly Sydney – effortless, personal and true to how she wears AE. Sweeney’s girl next door charm and main character energy – paired with her ability to not take herself too seriously – is the hallmark of this bold, playful campaign.”