Never mind the critics: why Sydney Sweeney's polarizing American Eagle campaign is a smash hit
Vinay Menon is the Star's pop culture columnist based in Toronto. Reach him via email: vmenon@thestar.ca
If Sydney Sweeney pitched chickpeas everyone would be eating hummus.
It would be inevitable. She slips on a plunging top and coos about legumes and — boom! — sales spike at Whole Foods. At this point, Ms. Sweeney could sell microchips to the Amish. The actress who has appeared in 'Euphoria,' 'The White Lotus' and countless teen boy fantasies is one of the It Girls of 2025.
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Edmonton Journal
13 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' ads lift American Eagle stock price
Article content A controversy involving actress Sydney Sweeney, U.S. President Donald Trump and clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters continues to swirl, with the company's stock up over 20 per cent in trading early this week after a divisive ad campaign that was launched in July. Here's what to know. Article content Jeans. The famously blue-eyed, blonde, buxom American actress appeared in an ad for American Eagle jeans in July under the tagline: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Article content The ad is a cheeky play on the words genes and jeans. In one 15-second spot that makes the comparison obvious, she says: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.' She then adds: 'My jeans are blue.' Article content Some critics have attempted to drum up controversy over whether there is some nefarious trumpeting of eugenics or racism at play. Article content Sayantani DasGupta, a physician and lecturer at Columbia University, said in her own TikTok video that the campaign was 'really imbued with eugenic messaging,' comparing it to Trump's remarks in 2020 that Minnesotans had 'good genes.' Article content 'It is both a testament to this political moment, and it's contributing to and reinforcing this kind of anti-immigrant, anti-people of colour, pro-eugenic political moment,' she said. Article content American Eagle has since responded with an Instagram post stating that the campaign 'is and always was about the jeans,' adding: 'Great jeans look good on everyone.' Article content Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by American Eagle (@americaneagle) Article content How did Donald Trump get involved? Article content Article content The U.S. president took to social media on Monday to state: 'Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there,' adding: 'Go get 'em Sydney!' Article content On Monday, Trump also told a reporter in Pennsylvania: 'If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Article content The BBC and other outlets report that Sweeney has been registered as a Republican in the state of Florida since 2024, but notes that she has not spoken out about politics, telling GQ magazine in a 2023 interview: 'Honestly, I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation.' Article content How is American Eagle doing? Article content According to the New York Times, American Eagle's stock rose by more than 23 per cent on Monday, following Trump's endorsement. On Tuesday the company stock was trading at between US$12 and US$13, before closing out the day at US$12.02. However, that remains a far cry from where it was last August, when it reached more than US$26 before a gradual, year-long decline.
Calgary Herald
13 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' ads lift American Eagle stock price
Article content A controversy involving actress Sydney Sweeney, U.S. President Donald Trump and clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters continues to swirl, with the company's stock up over 20 per cent in trading early this week after a divisive ad campaign that was launched in July. Here's what to know. Article content Jeans. The famously blue-eyed, blonde, buxom American actress appeared in an ad for American Eagle jeans in July under the tagline: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Article content Article content What's the controversy? Article content Article content The ad is a cheeky play on the words genes and jeans. In one 15-second spot that makes the comparison obvious, she says: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.' She then adds: 'My jeans are blue.' Article content Sayantani DasGupta, a physician and lecturer at Columbia University, said in her own TikTok video that the campaign was 'really imbued with eugenic messaging,' comparing it to Trump's remarks in 2020 that Minnesotans had 'good genes.' Article content 'It is both a testament to this political moment, and it's contributing to and reinforcing this kind of anti-immigrant, anti-people of colour, pro-eugenic political moment,' she said. Article content American Eagle has since responded with an Instagram post stating that the campaign 'is and always was about the jeans,' adding: 'Great jeans look good on everyone.' Article content Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by American Eagle (@americaneagle) Article content How did Donald Trump get involved? Article content Article content The U.S. president took to social media on Monday to state: 'Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there,' adding: 'Go get 'em Sydney!' Article content On Monday, Trump also told a reporter in Pennsylvania: 'If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Article content The BBC and other outlets report that Sweeney has been registered as a Republican in the state of Florida since 2024, but notes that she has not spoken out about politics, telling GQ magazine in a 2023 interview: 'Honestly, I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation.' Article content According to the New York Times, American Eagle's stock rose by more than 23 per cent on Monday, following Trump's endorsement. On Tuesday the company stock was trading at between US$12 and US$13, before closing out the day at US$12.02. However, that remains a far cry from where it was last August, when it reached more than US$26 before a gradual, year-long decline.
National Post
13 hours ago
- National Post
'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' ads lift American Eagle stock price
A controversy involving actress Sydney Sweeney, U.S. President Donald Trump and clothing retailer American Eagle Outfitters continues to swirl, with the company's stock up over 20 per cent in trading early this week after a divisive ad campaign that was launched in July. Here's what to know. Article content Jeans. The famously blue-eyed, blonde, buxom American actress appeared in an ad for American Eagle jeans in July under the tagline: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Article content Article content The ad is a cheeky play on the words genes and jeans. In one 15-second spot that makes the comparison obvious, she says: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour.' She then adds: 'My jeans are blue.' Article content Sayantani DasGupta, a physician and lecturer at Columbia University, said in her own TikTok video that the campaign was 'really imbued with eugenic messaging,' comparing it to Trump's remarks in 2020 that Minnesotans had 'good genes.' Article content 'It is both a testament to this political moment, and it's contributing to and reinforcing this kind of anti-immigrant, anti-people of colour, pro-eugenic political moment,' she said. Article content American Eagle has since responded with an Instagram post stating that the campaign 'is and always was about the jeans,' adding: 'Great jeans look good on everyone.' Article content Article content View this post on Instagram A post shared by American Eagle (@americaneagle) Article content Article content On Monday, Trump also told a reporter in Pennsylvania: 'If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Article content The BBC and other outlets report that Sweeney has been registered as a Republican in the state of Florida since 2024, but notes that she has not spoken out about politics, telling GQ magazine in a 2023 interview: 'Honestly, I feel like nothing I say can help the conversation.' Article content How is American Eagle doing? Article content According to the New York Times, American Eagle's stock rose by more than 23 per cent on Monday, following Trump's endorsement. On Tuesday the company stock was trading at between US$12 and US$13, before closing out the day at US$12.02. However, that remains a far cry from where it was last August, when it reached more than US$26 before a gradual, year-long decline.
