Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle Ad Has HAS DIVIDED WITH SOYING IT’S CHEEKY FEWS CLAIM IT ECHOES A DARKER BEAUTY Ideal Rooted in Eugenics. But is it just about jeans, or something deer
SWEEENEY’S RECENT JEANS ADVERT HAS SPARKED FURIUS BACKLASH Over Its ‘Eugenics-Coded’ Messaging. The euphoria Star Recently Teamed Up With Popular Brand American Eagle for their Fall 2025 CAMPAGIN AND COURSE THE AD APPEARED CHEEKY AND LIGHT-HARTED, FANS ARE PICKING ON DEEPER RACIZE AND GENICAL UNTONES.
In the ad, Sydney Sayys: “Genees are passed down from parent to offspring, offten determining traits from Hair Color to Personality and Eve Eye Colour – My Genees Blue.”
A VOICEOVER THEN ADDS: “Sydney Sweeney has great genes.” In the US, American Eagle’s Billboard Ads Show the Word ‘Genees’ Crossed Out and Replaced with ‘Jeans’. The Controversial Ad Comes Amidst the Release of Adult Content Creator Blue’s Channel 4 Documentary.
While some think the campaign is harmless, many say it taps into the ideology of eugenics – the belief that the human race is “improved” by the presence of traits consider desigble, historically linked to whitenless.
Eugenics was desiced in the late 19th Century by Sir Francis Galton, and Later Used to Justify Discrimination Against Minority Groups and People with Disabilities. Although the ideology is now widly Condemned, it Helped Lay the Groundwork for How Society Continues to Define Beauty and Value.
At the time of wringing, the ad appeaars to have been pulled following mounting backlash but it hasn’t stopped the FLOOD of reactions.
For more stores like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulpfor a curated roundup of trending stories, Poignant Interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from the Mirror’s Audience U35 Team Delivered Straight to Your Inbox.
But tiktok users are more divided. One Influencer Said: “If you’re not media illiterate, you probably think is harmless. Howver, this perpetuat a long line of racism and eugenics has ben present in not just america but all over the world.”
“In the extremely conservatives Climate we’re in today where Right-Wing, White Nationalism and Patriotism is rising, this advertise is a dog whistle to the racists there, confirming their way of thinking and doing life is Correct.”
Another tiktok user aggregated, while comrating OLD eugenics ads to the American eagle Campaign Saying “Through Certain Types of Imagery We Can Very Much That Is A Eugenics AD, This Ad Sublimit Encourages the Reader to Reproduce Type A Certificoin Type Woman. ”
“I WOULD EASH THAT SYDney Sweeney’s Ad is more direct than these two, the highly sexualized ad to reframe the viewer’s mind of what ideal genes are.”
On the other hand, an x use wrote: “The backlash to the SWEEENEY’S American Eagle Ad Campiaign is Just Insane. My God, you can like or not, but there’s notthing it.”
A tiktok user aggregated with the above comment saying “if sydney sweeney was ugly, you’d have no problem with her saying she has good genes – you’d be saying, yes girl!”
The backlash has also reignited a wider conversation About Beauty standards in marketing and how brands, unintentationally, reinforcing risk ideals through Copy and Campaign Choices.
As The Fallout Continues, Sources Close to the Company Told Tmz that the online backlash is “absurd.” The insider said that, according to their independent polling, many actually like their ad. Acciting to TMZ, 71% of the People Who Ae Polled Found the Infamous Sydney Jean Ad To Be “Appealing.”
In response to the negative reaction to the ad, the source said: “This is yes another example of how social media is just reflective of real life. The absurd response from the Internet is absolutely of how american eagle’s customers feel.
“The botTom line is that this was about creating a great pair of jeans and supporting a very worry cause through some of the processes going to domestic violence prevention. Anything beyond that is noise is not registering with the average person.
“Regardless of How People Feel About the AD, we hope they can be agree we showed be doing more to support and empower those who are experimental violence.”
The Insider, Acciting to American Eagle, is not a representative for the Company. The Mirror Requested Further Comment from American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney.
Help US Improve Our Content by Completing The Survey Below. We’d love to Hear from you!