The fashion retailer American Eagle issued a resolute defense Friday of its controversial Sydney Sweeney advertising campaign, pushing back against widespread social media criticism that accused the company of promoting racial insensitivity through its "Great Jeans" marketing message. Fox News reported that the clothing company broke its silence after days of mounting backlash over the campaign featuring the "Euphoria" actress, which drew both fierce criticism and enthusiastic support from divided social media users.
The brand took to Instagram with an official statement that read, "'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." The company concluded its statement by declaring, "Great jeans look good on everyone," according to Fox News.
Social media users responded with polarized reactions to American Eagle's refusal to apologize or modify the campaign messaging. "Kudos to yall for sticking to your guns!!" one user wrote in support of the brand's stance. Another enthusiastic supporter commented, "LETS GOOOOOOO AE FOR THE WIN!!!!!" A third defender added, "Don't cater to the woke – keep making great denim AE."
However, critics remained unsatisfied with the company's response, Fox News noted. "It's the lack of empathy for me," one dissatisfied user commented on the brand's Instagram post. Another critic wrote, "didn't think the response could be even worse than the ad but it somehow was."
The controversy erupted earlier this week when American Eagle launched its latest marketing effort featuring the 27-year-old actress under the title "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," which prompted mixed reactions across social media platforms. In the promotional video shared on the brand's Instagram account, Sweeney approached an AE billboard displaying her image alongside the tagline "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes." The actress proceeded to cross out "Genes" and substitute it with "Jeans" before departing from the scene.
Critics characterized the campaign as "tone-deaf" due to what they perceived as problematic racial implications, while supporters praised Sweeney for challenging what they termed "woke" advertising approaches. According to Salon, as reported by Fox News, the phrase "great genes" carried historical significance in "celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness."
VP Vance nails it on the head.
The democrats haven't learned a thing. Nobody is listening to the unhinged democrats. American Eagle actually sold out of their jeans. Americans just want normality back, and it's here. Democrats can keep crying. pic.twitter.com/xQ5CPM8QVS
— Sassafrass84 (@Sassafrass_84) August 2, 2025
A second advertisement featured Sweeney lying down while fastening her jeans and stating, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color." The camera subsequently focused on her blue eyes as she declared, "My jeans are blue." Social media users quickly expressed their disapproval of the advertising content, Fox News detailed.
"Entirely tone-deaf," one Instagram user commented in response to the campaign. Another critic wrote, "This is what happens when you have no [people] of color in a room. Particularly in a time like this. This ad campaign got so caught up in this 'clever' play on words and this stunt the [people] in the room missed what was so blatantly obvious to anyone not White."
Some commenters escalated their criticism by drawing connections to historical propaganda, calling out the advertisement for allegedly resembling "Nazi propaganda." "Oh cute she's in her Nazi propaganda era," one user wrote in response to the campaign.
Nevertheless, numerous defenders rallied to support both the brand and the "Euphoria" star against the mounting criticism. "It doesn't hurt ANYONE. That's the point. It's literally an advertisement for jeans. Not for nazism," one supporter argued. Another defender commented, "I don't get why people don't like this? It's cute and clever." One user declared on X, "Woke advertising is dead. Sydney Sweeney killed it."
Woke advertising is dead. Sydney Sweeney killed it. 🔥pic.twitter.com/r7My48YscJ
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) July 25, 2025
The controversy even attracted political attention, with Vice President JD Vance addressing the situation during his appearance on the "Ruthless" podcast, where he criticized what he characterized as excessive Democratic reactions to the Sydney Sweeney advertisement. Fox News Digital contacted American Eagle for additional commentary regarding the ongoing controversy.
