Entertainment

Sydney Sweeney Stars In Controversial American Eagle Ad

By Campbell Goldston

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue,” Sydney Sweeney said during a July American Eagle (AE) jeans advertisement, originally uploaded onto YouTube and gaining 9 million views. It was later deleted from AE's social media due to controversy and backlash. The ad sparked conversations online, with people discussing how the ad promoted eugenics, the discredited theory that humans can be improved through selective breeding. 

On Aug. 19, Gap released an advertisement featuring popular global group KATSEYE, with a dance number choreographed by Robbie Blue to “Milkshake” by Kelis. The advertisement gained immediate traction online, acquiring 27 million views after only three days of release, and numerous videos of users doing the dance were posted on Instagram and TikTok. 

Both ads went viral, but for polarizing reasons: American Eagle’s for controversy and Gap’s for the exact opposite. 

American Eagle came under fire following the release of their ad. With its wordplay and emphasis on Sweeney’s blue jeans (genes), many spoke out, saying that the ad was claiming that some people have better “genes” than others. 

@brielleybelly123, a marketing student, posted a video on TikTok discussing the ad’s connection to eugenics and the implication that some people have "superior" genes. “By using…Sydney Sweeney, blonde hair, blue eyes, white, skinny, what are we saying about her genes?” she asked. Another TikTok user (@missingslipperss) agreed with this point, saying, “It’s not just talking about denim, it’s also implying that she was born with certain desirable traits.”

The YouTube comment section of the ad is filled with a variety of opinions, with some comparing the ad to KATSEYE’s. Other users didn’t think that the ad was controversial. “I watched it 20 times and still haven’t figured out what the problem is,” @harrylanza said. 

On Aug. 1, American Eagle posted a response to the controversy. “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ is and always was about the jeans.”

Although the brand responded to the negativity, many were still not happy with this response. One user (@cheamcreemz) posted, “She quite literally talked about ‘genes’ in that ad, they can’t back step and pretend they weren’t.”

In contrast to the varied responses to the American Eagle commercial, the release of the Gap x KATSEYE ad was very well-received on social media. 

In a behind-the-scenes video of the shoot, Blue said, “The story we’re telling is a story of unity.” He emphasized how the commercial features KATSEYE and thirty dancers of various styles, all to celebrate the differences between these people. This contrasted with what some believed the AE ad was promoting, and Gap’s video was praised on social media, rather than criticized. 

One commenter from YouTube, @christiantreid, said, “i know we are gagging, but can we please have a HUGE shoutout to the directors, creatives, and editors behind the scenes who also made this possible! it’s so fluid it’s insane.” Another (@KL-le8ge) commented, “A denim ad war was not on my 2025 bingo card…But KATSEYE winning it definitely is.”

Although the American Eagle x Sydney Sweeney ad raised eyebrows online, the company succeeded, with CNN reporting a 25% stock increase as a result of the ad. The Gap x KATSEYE ad also found success, with Gap CEO Richard Dickson reporting sales growth following the ad. The sales success of both ads, compared to the differing reactions on the internet, raises the question of whether all press truly is good press.