American Eagle responds to critics over ad with Sydney Sweeney, saying it was always about the jeans

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American Eagle responds to critics over ad with Sydney Sweeney, saying it was always about the jeans

ABC News
By ANNE D'INOCENZIO
August 1, 2025

NEW YORK -- Teen retailer American Eagle Outfitters has a message to its critics, who took issue over its denim ad campaign with 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney that sparked a debate over race and Western beauty standards. The campaign, the retailer said, was always about the jeans.

In a statement posted on American Eagle's Instagram account on Friday, the retailer said the ad campaign “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. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The message marked the first time the teen retailer responded to days of backlash since the ad with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” launched last week.

In the run-up to the ad blitz, the company's chief marketing officer told trade media outlets that it included “clever, even provocative language” and was “definitely going to push buttons."

It's unclear if the company knew how much controversy the ad could raise.

Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word “genes” instead of “jeans” when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor known for the HBO series “Euphoria” and “White Lotus.”

(more)
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/american-eagle-responds-critics-ad-sydney-sweeney-jeans-124295250

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It was completely unintentional, but American Eagle has triggered an absolute surge of White Pride nationwide. It was not American Eagle that triggered the surge. It was the Liberal response trashing Sydney Sweeney that pissed everyone off.

Now, American Eagle is selling out of all their merchandise. And almost every customer is White, American, and proud of it. It is not so much about the racial aspects. It is much more about a F*ck DEI, F*ck the Liberals, movement. Everybody is just so tired of White People being stomped on for everything while minorities are elevated to sainthood.

https://www.ae.com/us/en

[LMAO]

I feel bad for this woman

All she did was do a jean commercial, and then she gets thrust in the world of political extremism

When I find it’s a very small minority of people who complain, but due to the rate of social media is made to look larger than it really is