These ads just wiped the floor with Sydney Sweeney's abysmal American Eagle ad
By now, you've likely seen the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney's recent campaign with American Eagle, which some alleged carried uncomfortable alt-right 'dogwhistle' undertones. In response to the backlash, several rival brands have launched subtle counter campaigns, spotlighting diversity in an antithetical protest of American Eagle's contentious ad.
The best adverts often spark conversation, but Sweeney's campaign drew attention for all the wrong reasons. Reclaiming the discourse with visions of elegance, inclusivity (and thankfully, no mention of genes), these ingenious clapbacks at American Eagle's tactless ad are a prime example of how negative contention can spark a movement of creative positivity.
Within days of American Eagle's uncomfortable ad, rival brand Old Navy released a subtle yet wholesome denim campaign with a strong focus on inclusivity. Featuring the caption, 'these are the jeans your other jeans warned you about,' the tastefully minimalist ads spotlight smiling families and diverse models with a focus on fits for "all".
Joining the conversation was fashion brand Abercrombie, which released a similarly subtle campaign focused on "how denim should feel." Across the campaign, models of all races and body types discuss the importance of a well-fitting pair of jeans, focusing on confidence, rather than physical appearance. (Notably, the ad feels targeted to uplifting women, unlike Sweeney's ad, which was criticised for appeasing the male gaze.)
Perhaps my favourite of the 'rebuttals' was Ralph Lauren's campaign – a classy celebration of heritage and culture that captures a patriotic air devoid of American Eagle's all-American sleaze. Pairing luxurious old-money aesthetics with a comforting dose of nostalgia, the sophisticated ad is a beautiful vignette of culture and community in Oak Bluffs, celebrating the intersection of Black history and Americana.
While Gen Z might be turning their backs on the nostalgia of Americana, I still believe there's a place for it in branding. Reverting to classic aesthetics and familiar imagery is a staple of advertising, and these campaigns prove that we can celebrate the beauty of heritage without verging into the sides of the past most of us would rather forget. All-American patriotic branding should be about celebrating growth, community and pride, not cheap sleaze, muscle cars and ill-fitting double denim.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
CNN Panelist Trounces Scott Jennings During Debate Over Dean Cain Joining ICE
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings endured some quick-witted pushback Thursday on CNN for arguing that 'a bunch of people' could start to join Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and help round up immigrants — simply because actor Dean Cain announced he will. 'Having someone like that out touting it, talking about, 'Hey, this is a thing you can do for your government, this is a public service,' it's going to help them recruit and they have a bunch of people to recruit,' Jennings said on 'NewsNight With Abby Phillip.' Cain, who played Superman in the 1990s ABC series 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' told Fox News on Wednesday that he's already a reserve police officer in Idaho. The former television star then announced that he'll be 'sworn in as an ICE agent ASAP.' Jennings joined a burgeoningRepublicanchorus in touting the news as an invaluable recruitment tool. Guest panelist and podcaster Van Lathan couldn't help but interrupt, however, and said: 'Scott, it's not '95. Nobody gives a Sam Hill what Dean Cain does.' 'You may not,' replied Jennings, suggesting Cain remains an influential conservative. Lathan went on to suggest some unspoken motivations for Cain joining ICE, which received an enormous funding infusion as a result of the GOP's so-called Big Beautiful Bill — and has since announced a maximum signing bonus of $50,000 for Americans of all ages. 'Dean ain't worked in a while,' Lathan told Jennings. 'Dean needs the 50,000. That's what got Dean off the couch. Dean ain't worked in a while. Dean's gonna take that money and buy some crypto [currency] with it. Dean needs the 50 [thousand dollars]. That's what Dean is on.' Jennings: Having someone like Dean Cain out touting it—It's going to help them recruit. Lathan: It's not 1995. No one cares what Dean Cain thinks. — Acyn (@Acyn) August 8, 2025 Lathan wasn't the only suspicious panelist. Even Mediate founder Dan Abrams — who said President Donald Trump's administration 'deserves an enormous amount of credit' for securing the U.S.-Mexico border — dismissed Cain's role as a PR move. 'You know, look, it's like he said: 'I'm getting sworn in,' right?' Abrams said Thursday. 'When you talk about getting sworn in, he's not really going to be an ICE agent. I mean, he's going to go on some ICE raids, he'll be an honorary member, et cetera.' Jennings noted earlier in the discussion that there's 'a massive amount of recruitment' at ICE because the agency now has 'a huge amount of money' to hire new agents. Abrams agreed, but said he hopes the quality of these recruits exceeds that of their current peers. 'I just hope that they have that reasonable suspicion that we've been talking about,' he said about ICE agents. 'I hope they're not just going in and grabbing a bunch of people because they happen to be waiting outside the Home Depot looking to earn a living that day.' Related... Former Superman Actor Dean Cain Joins ICE — And Fans Are Not Having It Trump's Latest 'Bats**t Crazy' Remark Has People Fuming Trump Throws Absolute Fit In Middle-Of-The-Night Meltdown At Ex-GOP Official
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Chimp Crazy' star sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison for lying that primate had died
A Missouri woman who starred in the HBO documentary series 'Chimp Crazy' has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison after she lied that a movie star primate that she was accused of mistreating had died. Tonia Haddix, 56, was also ordered Thursday to serve three years of supervised release after her 46-month prison sentence ends. Haddix, who ran a primate facility the St. Louis suburb of Festus, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of perjury and one of obstructing justice. It all started nearly a decade ago, when the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sued, saying she was keeping several chimps in 'confined in cramped, virtually barren enclosures' at the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation facility. Among the chimps was Tonka, who appeared in the 1997 movies 'Buddy' and 'George of the Jungle.' Actor Alan Cumming, the British-born actor who starred in the movie 'Buddy' alongside Tonka, also begged for the primate to be moved. Haddix signed a consent decree in 2020 agreeing to send four of the chimps to a Florida sanctuary. The order allowed her to keep three others, including Tonka, at a facility she was to build. But after a judge found that was not complying with the agreement, authorities arrived in 2021 and removed the remaining chimps, except for Tonka. Haddix claimed Tonka had died and that she had cremated the remains, according to court records. 'I wanted to keep trying to save Tonka if l could. But then he just died on his own, so there was no saving him,' she said, according to court records. But Tonka was alive. In 2022, PETA removed him from a cage in the basement of her home in Sunrise Beach, Missouri, near the Lake of the Ozarks. Haddix told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2022 that she lied to protect Tonka from 'the evil clutches of PETA.' She also admitted what happened in the third episode of 'Chimp Crazy,' which premiered last year, saying, 'Tonka was literally on the run with me.' Just last month, investigators found another chimp locked up in the basement of her home in Sunrise Beach in violation of court orders, documents in the case said. She was arrested, and her bond revoked. 'Defendant has shown no remorse for her criminal conduct, and has continued to challenge and defy this Court's authority, and she should face a significant punishment as a result,' prosecutors wrote. Her lawyer, Justin Gelfand, asked for mercy in court filings, saying she suffered abuse as a child and then endured several rocky marriages as an adult. 'This life taught her a clear lesson: humans are unpredictable and are not frequently safe or trustworthy," Gelfand wrote. "In the face of these harsh realities threaded throughout her life, Haddix came to form secure attachments with animals.' PETA praised the sentence in a news release, saying that Haddix now 'can't hurt another chimpanzee.'
Bloomberg
7 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
The Theater that Gave America Shakespeare in the Park Gets a Revamp
After years of neglect, Delacorte Theater — the outdoor stage where America's beloved free Shakespeare in the Park tradition began over 60 years ago — has reopened in New York City's Central Park with a star-studded production of Twelfth Night. It follows a nearly two-year, $85 million renovation that adds permanent wheelchair access and upgraded backstage facilities. Designed by Ennead Architects, it also features reclaimed redwood from decommissioned city water towers. The revamp comes at a precarious moment for public theater nationwide as arts organizations lose out on critical federal grants amid spending cuts by the Trump administration. Smaller groups in particular risk closing. But Delacorte's revival, funded in part by private donations, offers an example of what sustained investment can achieve, Rthvika Suvarna writes. Today on CityLab:
