Overview

• American Eagle launched its fall denim campaign on July 23 with the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” pledging all proceeds from the limited-edition ‘Sydney Jean’ to Crisis Text Line for domestic violence awareness.
• Critics and advertising historian Robin Landa argue that the pun on “great genes” invokes language central to early-20th-century eugenics and white supremacist ideology.
• Supporters on social platforms including Threads and TikTok defended the ad as harmless marketing, fueling a polarized debate over tone and intent.
• Despite the backlash, American Eagle’s share price has climbed roughly 4 percent since the campaign debuted, demonstrating a commercial uptick.
• As of July 29, neither Sydney Sweeney nor American Eagle Outfitters has publicly addressed the controversy, extending the campaign’s limbo status.