Sydney Sweeney Great Jeans Ad Sparks Eugenics Outrage: Is It a Dog Whistle or Just Denim?
On July 23, 2025, American Eagle launched its fall denim campaign featuring 27-year-old actress Sydney Sweeney, known for her roles in Euphoria and The White Lotus. Titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” the campaign’s playful pun on “jeans” and “genes” has triggered a fierce online debate, with critics accusing it of promoting eugenics and white supremacy.
The controversy, fueled by Sweeney’s blonde hair and blue eyes, has divided opinions, with some decrying the ads as “tone-deaf” and others praising them as a rejection of “woke” marketing. Despite a charitable tie-in for domestic violence awareness, the campaign’s messaging has raised questions about cultural sensitivity in advertising. Here’s a deeper look at the ads, the backlash, and their broader implications.
A Pun That Hit a Nerve
The campaign centers on Sweeney modeling American Eagle’s denim, with a tagline that plays on “great jeans” and “great genes.” In one Instagram video, Sweeney stands before a poster reading “Sydney Sweeney has great genes,” which she crosses out to write “jeans.” Another clip features her saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color.
My jeans are blue,” as the camera pans to her blue eyes. Critics argue this wordplay, paired with Sweeney’s appearance, evokes eugenics—a discredited pseudoscience tied to racial superiority and forced sterilizations in U.S. history. Social media posts highlighted the timing, noting America’s polarized climate and recent political moves against diversity initiatives. One commenter called it a “dog whistle to conservatism,” while another said it felt like “1930s propaganda,” pointing to the focus on Sweeney’s “Aryan” features.
Mixed Reactions and Cultural Divide
The backlash has been intense but not universal. Some online voices labeled the campaign “fascist” and “racist,” arguing it glorifies white beauty standards, especially given Sweeney’s past controversies, like a 2022 family party photo featuring MAGA-like hats. Others, particularly conservative commentators, celebrated the ads as a bold stand against “woke” advertising, with one claiming, “Sydney Sweeney killed woke marketing.”
Defenders dismissed the criticism as overblown, insisting it’s “just a denim ad” and the eugenics accusations are a stretch. The debate reflects a broader cultural rift, with some seeing the campaign as nostalgic fun and others as a step back from inclusive branding. American Eagle’s stock surged 15% after the launch, suggesting the controversy boosted visibility, but calls for a boycott have also emerged, with some vowing to switch to rival brands.
A Charitable Cause Overshadowed
The campaign includes “The Sydney Jean,” a limited-edition denim style co-designed by Sweeney, featuring a butterfly motif symbolizing domestic violence awareness—a cause she supports. All proceeds from these jeans go to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit offering free mental health support. American Eagle pitched the campaign as a “bold, playful” return to classic denim, emphasizing Sweeney’s “girl-next-door charm.”
However, the charitable aspect has been drowned out by the uproar over the “genes” messaging. Neither Sweeney nor American Eagle has addressed the criticism as of July 29, leaving the controversy to fester online. The campaign’s echoes of a 1980s Calvin Klein ad, which sexualized a teenage Brooke Shields, have also drawn scrutiny, with some calling it disrespectful to reference such a controversial precedent. As the debate rages, the campaign underscores the risks brands face when navigating sensitive cultural and historical connotations.
