The Sydney Sweeney Ad Did The Impossible — It Got People Talking About Advertising Again.

Forbes

3 days ago

Outside of what has become an annual American tradition of reviewing Super Bowl commercials, it has been years since I've heard or been sent so many reviews, opinions, and hot takes on a :15 or :30 second commercial spot.
Until now.
Last week, American Eagle came in hot with a series of ads featuring one of America's most popular rising stars. Actress Sydney Sweeney, 27, launched her new collaboration with the retailer, titled 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans'.
And it did not disappoint (or perhaps it did, depending on who you ask)
From the South China Morning Post to the Daily Mail, and Vanity Fair to NPR - outlets across time zones, age brackets and industry verticles are chiming in on their thoughts and perspectives and symbolism of the ad. On social media, the ad is the talk of TikTok, X, and Instagram with influencers and everyday people eager to record videos to share their opinion, all while replaying the ad for their users to see, of course. Even the President commented!
What's all the talk about?
The pun/double entendre of language between genes and jeans, the intersection of visual identity and sex appeal, and the pretty privilege of "traditional" beauty.
Quite simply, this ad has unlocked America's culture war about looks, influence, and eugenics?
American Eagle Is An Unlikley Catalyst
American Eagle Outfitters, while a longstanding international retail brand and manufacturer, is an unlikely catalyst for this moment. But what their story tells you is that GREAT ADVERTISING is effective when done correctly.
In recent years, advertising has been an industry under siege by both clients, who hire out the creative agencies that make the work, and by consumers who have multiple ways they can avoid watching ads.
Recent trends are continuing to accelerate this. Last month's Omnicom's much anticipated $13.5 billion acquisition of rival Interpublic was approved by the FTC, creating the world's largest advertising agency. In the U.S., the firm would become the largest media buying ad agency as well. The new Omnicom will have over 100,000 expert practitioners with the combined entity forecast to yield $750 million in annual cost savings, highlighting the ongoing drive toward consolidation on Madison Ave.
Some argue that this consolidation hurts creativity due to the red tape and corporate-leaning culture.
It's not to imply advertisements aren't all around us. The average person sees hundreds of ads every day, but the reality is that due to the squeeze from both sides, the creative product is not as memorable as it could be.
When asking people if they can recall the ads that they see, the response is only between 1%-10%.
From AI, to ad-free streaming to 'skip now', advertising has seemed to become "in the way" of what we are trying to consume vs enhancing the experience of the time we are forced to commit.
And as algorithms become more powerful in serving custom ads, it's become more complex and harder for brands and audiences to be able to recall advertising as they once were immediately. Gone are the days of 'Yo Quiero Taco Bell', 'The Geico Caveman', 'Mac vs PC', or 'Spuds McKenzie'
Opposing Voices Don't Hold as Much Weight
As the dust settles, American Eagle has stood by their ad campaign despite the criticism and controversy. Saying in a recent Instagram post, they shared their ad campaign "is and always was about the jeans. 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."
The 'Sydney' jeans which the commercial was advertising, have completely sold out, and the stock price is at its highest point in nearly 6 months ($13.39 at the time of writing), showing that a great ad holds value for companies. Beyond that, the brand is now in minds and lips of millions across the world.
Could this American Eagle campaign be the tipping point to inspire a new era of creativity? And could the formula of painting the line on social issues surrounding privilege and race be the new formula?
I believe the answer is yes, and I for one am looking forward to actually watching them - regardless of what side of the debate I'm on.