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American Eagle Under Fire for Sydney Sweeney's 'Great Jeans' Campaign

  • Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle released a 'Great Jeans' ad in July 2025 that sparked backlash over racial and eugenics connotations online.
  • The controversy arose because the ad's pun on 'genes' and focus on Sweeney's blonde hair and blue eyes echoed historic white supremacy themes.
  • The campaign included a jean line designed by Sweeney, with proceeds benefiting the domestic violence support group Crisis Text Line.
  • Advertising expert Robin Landa warned the pun is tone-deaf and risks normalizing exclusionary beliefs, while American Eagle's stock rose nearly 17% since the ad's debut.
  • The ad intensified debates on racism and eugenics, though some defended Sweeney and called the backlash an overreaction; American Eagle stood by the campaign.
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What to know about reactions to the American Eagle 'good jeans' ads

Sydney Sweeney fronts American Eagle's bold denim campaign, stirring conversations on beauty, diversity, and cultural implications with its edgy "great jeans" message.

·Pittsburgh, United States
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NEW YORK.— The American fashion chain American Eagle Outfitters wanted to make sense of their new advertising campaign, starring 27-year-old actress Sydney Sweeney. The advertising campaign included ingenious language, even provocative, and was certainly going to generate controversy, according to the company's marketing director to specialized media.The question now is whether some of the public reactions generated by the campaign were the ones…

·Buenos Aires, Argentina
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The Blast broke the news in on Saturday, July 26, 2025.
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