Genes are universal, and so is controversy. The “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” American Eagle ad campaign, which played on the homophones “genes” and “jeans,” sparked conversations about Western beauty standards, the media’s oversexualization of women and the influence of “woke” politics on American culture.
The ad opens with a slow pan over Sweeney as she zips her jeans. As the camera moves, the viewer sees her open denim jacket, revealing glimpses of her chest and stomach.
While it unfolds, Sweeney gives a monologue about genetics being passed down through generations.
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” Sweeney said. “My jeans are blue.”
The ad finished with the tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
Some critics of the advertisement saw the wordplay as a possible unintentional reference to eugenics, the discredited idea of improving the human race by controlling breeding to favor certain traits.
One X post with over 2,500 likes wrote, “Damn, I thought you all were joking, but that Sydney Sweeney ad really does say ‘genes determine personality.’ Our culture is absolutely cooked.”
Another ad referencing genetics released a few days after Sweeney’s commercial. A Dunkin’ Donuts ad featured television star Gavin Casalegno from Amazon Prime show “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
“Look, I didn’t ask to be the King of Summer; it just kinda happened,” Casalegno said in the ad. “This tan? Genetics.”
Both ads utilized conventionally attractive stars to make tongue-in-cheek implications about inherited traits.
The American Eagle ad was linked to a 1980s Calvin Klein campaign featuring Brooke Shields, which also mentioned genetics. In the ad, then-teen Brooke Shields laid on the floor, struggling to put on her jeans while discussing genetics and evolution, using the tagline, “Calvins, the survival of the fittest.”
Both commercials faced backlash for their provocative nature, but the prevailing issue stemmed from the discussion of “good” and “bad” genes. Despite striking similarities between the two commercials, they don’t necessarily mean American Eagle intended to pay homage to the over-40-year-old Calvin Klein ad.
Andrew Selepak, a UF media production professor, said if American Eagle was referencing the ‘80s campaign, it missed the mark.
“The problem is, the people who are online and the people who are buying American Eagles, they don’t know that commercial,” Selepak said. “They were born long after that commercial…It seems tone deaf in terms of putting out that particular ad, because people don’t have that frame of reference.”
Those invested in the controversy waited with bated breath for American Eagle to respond. The company released a statement Aug. 1, nine days after the initial ad came out.
“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the Instagram post read. “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.”
American Eagle’s stocks peaked around $12 following the ad, but as controversy spiked, they took a downturn.
Selepak believes American Eagle waited to respond because the conversation about its new ad was financially beneficial for the company, he said, and the backlash didn’t come from its core customers.
“All of this comes down to money,” he said. “Clearly, it’s not hurting their stock price. Why? Because the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Sweeney’s ad sparked a deeply polarized response, reflecting the stark political divide among consumers. Reactions from critics and supporters alike only reinforced stances, turning a simple ad into a flashpoint in a broader ideological battle.
The controversy escalated to a political debate. News organizations like The Daily Show and CNN commented on the ad, and even prominent figures put in their two cents, with Doja Cat releasing a video mocking Sweeney’s ad.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz posted on X about the situation, writing, “Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I’m sure that will poll well.”
As debate surrounding the advertisement intensified, the conversation became less about denim and more about identity. What began as a marketing stunt spiraled into a mirror reflecting deeper societal fractures, where a pair of jeans could symbolize political allegiance, cultural values and morality.
Selepak said the brand politicization carries broader implications for how we engage with one another.
“The biggest negative to it is the sort of politicization of brands and products,” he said. “We’re kind of getting into this point where we’re saying, ‘I don’t want to be around people who view a topic differently … We can’t interact.’”
Even consumer preferences in this climate risk becoming partisan lines, he added.
“Once we start getting into that, it really divides us even further,” he said.
Contact Isis Snow at isnow@alligator.org. Follow her on X @snow_isisUF.
Isis Snow is a junior sports journalism student and a general assignment reporter for The Avenue. She enjoys reading and working out whenever she has the opportunity.
