Latest news with #CrisisTextLine
Mint
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Genes or jeans? American Eagle defends Sydney Sweeney denim ad after backlash over controversial campaign
The Pittsburgh-based retailer recently launched a new line of denim called The Sydney Jean in partnership with the actress. Proceeds from the collection will benefit Crisis Text Line, a mental health support service. The fall 2025 campaign was initially introduced as 'a return to essential denim dressing,' with the Euphoria star modelling a 1970s-inspired ensemble that included flare jeans and a matching denim jacket. In one of the promotional videos, Sweeney is seen playing with words, telling viewers, 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color.' She then adds, 'My jeans are blue.' Each video ends with the tagline: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' The campaign quickly sparked controversy online, with some critics accusing it of using the 'great jeans' phrase as a thinly veiled reference to eugenics. The conversation prompted American Eagle to clarify its stance in a statement posted on Instagram on August 1. ''Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' 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 (sic),' the post read. 'Great jeans look good on everyone (sic).' People were quick to point out American Eagle's fault. One person commented, ' yup. it's about 'jeans'. after saying jeans 'determine traits like hair color, personality and even eye color' (sic).' Another person wrote, 'didn't think the response could be even worse than the ad but it somehow was (sic).' A third person wrote, 'So now 'jeans' are passed down from parents to offspring? Let's be fr it was never about jeans (sic).' Meanwhile, the other section of the audience is in total support of the brand as well as Sydney Sweeney. While one person wrote, 'Love this so much. It's literally a hot girl wearing jeans (sic),' another person commented, 'Hire Sydney Sweeney for more ads (sic)!' While the ad's wordplay drew polarising reactions, the brand maintains the message is centred solely on celebrating individuality and personal style through denim. For American Eagle, the focus remains on 'her jeans,' not her genetic makeup.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sydney Sweeney and her American Eagle ad campaign face social media storm: Story in 10 points
American Eagle's ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has generated plenty of buzz and controversy for its tagline "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans". The ad campaign has sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to 'woke' American politics and culture. The new campaign from American Eagle, starring the blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty Sydney Sweeney, has sent the woke mob into a meltdown. American Eagle has issued an official statement on the whole Sydney Sweeney 'Great Genes/Jeans' controversy after the ad campaign blew up on social media. ALSO READ: Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad controversy: How the actress built a $40 million empire from endorsements Why is Sydney Sweeney facing backlash? -Sydney Sweeney was hit with social media backlash after starring in an ad campaign for American Eagle and saying, 'I have great jeans… now you can too @americaneagle #AEPartner #AEJeans.' -The slogan — a pun on the word 'genes' — quickly sparked backlash, with many accusing the brand of promoting a white supremacy narrative by portraying features like blonde hair and blue eyes as the ideal standard. Live Events -The ad shows the 27-year-old 'Euphoria' star as she is seen in a nostalgic Americana setting, fixing a car and driving while wearing American Eagle jeans. The campaign tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,' plays on the word 'genes.' -The campaign is for American Eagle's new fall collection, featuring a limited-edition denim jacket and 'The Sydney Jean,' created in collaboration with Sweeney. All revenue from its sales will be donated to the Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit offering free 24/7 mental health support, according to the campaign. ALSO READ: Sydney Sweeney's controversial ad campaign draws Trump's attention, he says 'advertising a very funny thing' -In the video, Sydney Sweeney uses red paint to change the word 'genes' to 'jeans' and says in a voiceover: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.' -But the video drew intense backlash with critics accusing the ad for glorifying Sweeney's whiteness and slim figure. Some went a step ahead, accusing the campaign of promoting racial superiority, eugenic ideals, and echoing Nazi-era propaganda about a so-called 'master race.' - ''Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is, and always was, about the jeans,' the American Eagle said in a press release, backing Sydney Sweeney. 'Her jeans. Her story.' 'We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way,' the statement read, before signing off with: 'Great jeans look good on everyone.' ALSO READ: Solar Eclipse on August 2 in US? What NASA has said on world going dark for 6 minutes -US Vice President JD Vance weighed in on the Sydney Sweeney ad controversy, backing the brand and mocking Democrats for the outrage. 'I mean, it actually reveals something pretty interesting about the Dems. You've got a normal, all-American, beautiful girl doing a normal jeans ad, right?' he said. 'They're trying to sell jeans to kids in America—and somehow that's enough to send the other side into a meltdown. Did you guys learn nothing from the November 2024 election?' -TV host Megyn Kelly also slammed the reaction, calling it 'absurd' on her podcast and blaming the 'lunatic left' for stirring up unnecessary outrage. 'She's being called a white supremacist by people who don't like her latest ad, which is for American Eagle,' Kelly said. -Earlier this summer, Sydney Sweeney sold her literal bathwater as part of a soap formula for Dr. Squatch. She also has deals with Armani Beauty, Miu Miu, Laneige, HeyDude, Bai, Baskin Robbins and Ford.
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Dunkin's new ad about a celeb's 'genetics' draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney
It's becoming the summer of dunkin' on brands. Social media users are scrutinizing a new social media ad Dunkin', starring "The Summer I Turned Pretty" leading man Gavin Casalegno, with people honing in on the actor mentioning his "genetics" while hawking the company's new drink. "Look, I didn't ask to be the king of summer. It just kinda happened," the 25-year-old says in the video shared July 29. "This tan? Genetics. I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally. "I can't help it; every time I drink a Dunkin' Golden Hour Refresher, it's like the sun just finds me," he continues. "So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged." USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Dunkin' and Casalegno for comment. The messaging has divided social media, with some doubling down on their support of the coffee chain while others are drawing parallels to American Eagle's "genes" campaign starring Sydney Sweeney. Meanwhile, a few people are left confused by the ad's script, with one Reddit user writing: "Not a single part of this ad makes sense? It's literally just word salad." One TikTok commenter wrote: "Genuinely what does a drink have to do with genetics???" 'Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden?' The promotion of Dunkin's newest offering arrives on the heels of American Eagle's July 23 launch of its new campaign with "Euphoria" star Sweeney, which includes a pair of pants – called "The Sydney Jean" – that raises money for the Crisis Text Line. In one of the promotional videos, Sweeney playfully interchanges the homophones of "jeans" and "genes," with the campaign's messaging indicating that the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress from Washington has both "great" jeans and genes. Critics of the slogan have said it evokes the discredited philosophies of eugenics and glorifies whiteness. The top-voted comment under Dunkin's TikTok post with Casalegno reads: "Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden." Some of the other top-rated messages also posit rhetorical questions of the same nature. "The genetics talk is so damn weird. Sincerely, a white guy," one Instagram comment reads, while another says, "Weird time to drop an ad talking about genetics." People celebrate 'non-woke' messaging There's also a contingent of people who are on board with the coffee that "America runs on." "Guess I'll have to stop by Dunkin and get a drink on my way to go buy a pair of American Eagle jeans! Loving all of this non-woke" messaging," an Instagram commenter writes. Another user seemingly celebrated the release of an ad that reflects similar themes to Sweeney's amid American Eagle's controversy: "I love it! The libs are losing their weak minds." These comments echo the views of President Donald Trump's administration, which chimed in on the discourse when White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, on July 29, wrote on X that "This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024." Marcus Collins, clinical assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, previously told USA TODAY that in the case of some brand launches, the scrutiny may be the point. In 2025, the language comes amid a zeitgeist defined by major brands rolling back diversity and inclusive initiatives, according to Collins. "This feels pretty on brand for (companies) these days," Collins said. Contributing: Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
Kuwait Times
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
American Eagle ‘jeans' campaign that stars Sydney Sweeney under fire
An advertising campaign starring Sydney Sweeney for the clothing brand American Eagle has triggered the latest online firestorm causing an Internet meltdown. Some social media users are outraged, saying the wordplay of the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,' coupled with the actor's blue eyes and blonde hair, has racial undertones. Others are praising the campaign as lacking 'woke' politics. 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My genes are blue,' Sweeney, wearing denim on denim, says in one video. People across social media have leveled criticism spanning the gamut, with some saying the campaign promotes 'white supremacy' and 'eugenics' while others have called it 'sterile,' a sign of 'regression' or simply 'rage bait.' But many others have applauded the campaign, posting comments like 'woke is broke!' and 'culture shift!' Conservative Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas posted a photo of Sweeney on X and wrote, 'Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well.' Neither American Eagle nor the Emmy-nominated Sweeney, the 27-year-old actor best known for roles in the series 'The White Lotus' and 'Euphoria,' have publicly responded to the backlash. 'Sweeney's girl next door charm and main character energy - paired with her ability to not take herself too seriously - is the hallmark of this bold, playful campaign,' AE said in a statement last week when the advertisements launched. 'Values of another time' The company said its collaboration with Sweeney was meant to 'further elevate its position as the #1 jeans brand for Gen Z.' As part of the campaign, AE had also said it was launching a limited-run 'Sydney Jean' that retails for $79.95 and features a butterfly motif on the back pocket, which the brand said is meant to represent domestic violence awareness. Proceeds from the jeans will go to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit offering mental health support, AE, a company started in 1977, said. In the wake of the chatter triggered by the campaign, Washington Post fashion critic Rachel Tashjian wrote that whether or not the ad had racial undertones or anything intentional to say beyond selling jeans, it 'is part of a wave of imagery of influencers, pop stars and musicians that feels tethered to the values of another time.' 'For the past five or six years, it seemed like fashion and pop culture were very interested in - even dedicated to - body positivity. Now we're being fed a lot of images of thinness, whiteness and unapologetic wealth porn,' Tashjian said. — AFP
Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Reaction to Sydney Sweeney's ad is cancel culture run amok, reason why Donald Trump won,' says White House representative
Brands and advertising firms go crazy every time they have to find an actor for their new campaign, because finding the right face can be the difference between a successful product and one that will sit on the shelves. American Eagle tried to do something similar with Euphoria actor Sydney Sweeney when they released a new campaign titled Great Genes. What was supposed to be a play on the word jeans, opened a Pandora's box filled with trouble and criticism, with many claiming that the ad is promoting white supremacy. All hell broke loose after several ads featuring Sydney wearing the brand's jeans dropped on the internet. The campaign aimed to highlight that Sydney has both great genes and jeans, with 'genes' referring to her beauty, according to the brand. The idea didn't really translate, as some people pointed out that hiring a white woman with blond hair and blue eyes to talk about her 'great genes' is a bit eugenic in nature and cannot stand. However, many supported the campaign, and the latest to join that list is White House representative Steven Cheung, who in a post on X (formerly Twitter) called the entire backlash 'moronic.' ALSO READ: Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas seemingly confirm relationship as they walk hand-in-hand during Vermont getaway. See photos He wrote, 'Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They're tired of this bull****.' The voting comment is a reference to Donald Trump's triumph over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential elections. Another voice that supported Sydney and slammed liberals was American journalist and attorney Megyn Kelly, who didn't mince any words while describing people who are against the campaign and said, 'She's advertising jeans, and yet the lunatics on the Left think she's advertising white supremacy. This is obviously a reference to her body and not to her skin colour, but the lunatic left is going to do what the lunatic left is going to do.' Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic, and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They're tired of this bullshit. — Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) July 29, 2025 She added that the only reason people were upset is because a white woman is the face of a campaign titled 'great genes,' and that people shudder at the thought of celebrating a white woman for her body or appearance. The ad has certainly given birth to a lot of opinions, with some calling it an idea in poor taste, something that the brand itself thinks is just 'noise.' An insider told TMZ, 'This is yet another example of how social media doesn't reflect real life. The absurd response from some corners of the internet is absolutely not how American Eagle's customers feel.' American Eagle earlier shared plans of releasing a limited edition jeans named after the actor, whose sale proceeds will go to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit organization offering mental health support. Whether people like it or not, many argue that this controversy will probably end up working for the brand, as people are constantly talking about it on social media, which gives the campaign and the product more traction.
