When did jeans become political? Sydney Sweeney’s ‘American Eagle’ ad stirs controversy

In July 2025, American Eagle launched a bold denim revival campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney, aiming to blend cheeky humor, Gen-Z irony, and a dose of body positivity. But instead of simply rejuvenating their brand image, the campaign has sparked a firestorm of controversy, one that only seems to grow louder by the day.

The central ad, titled “Good Jeans”, shows Sweeney confidently addressing the camera in a denim ensemble, stating, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.” It ends with a cheeky sign-off: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” In a follow-up Instagram clip, she defaces a billboard reading “Great Genes,” changing “genes” to “jeans” and joking, “See what I did there?”

At first glance, it’s classic American Eagle: playful, light-hearted, and drenched in youthful energy. But online reaction has been anything but amused. Critics argue the ad’s double entendre and its visual emphasis on Sweeney’s blonde hair and blue eyes evoke disturbing parallels to white supremacist ideology, particularly the early 20th-century eugenics movement in the U.S.

The phrase “great genes,” while seemingly innocuous today, has deep and troubling roots. During the height of the eugenics movement, it was a euphemism used to justify racial superiority and selective breeding. These pseudoscientific beliefs targeted minorities, immigrants, and people with disabilities, eventually laying ideological groundwork for Nazi Germany’s policies of ethnic cleansing.

In that context, critics say, casting a blue-eyed, blonde-haired white actress to deliver this pun-laden campaign misses the mark, if not dangerously so.

Public Backlash Intensifies

Across social media, users have called the ad everything from “tone-deaf” to “coded racism,” with many demanding an apology or retraction. Others accuse American Eagle of exploiting edgy humor while being ignorant of the cultural and historical weight behind the term “great genes.”

“Either it’s intentionally provocative or shockingly ignorant. Both are a problem,” one Twitter user posted.

Sweeney’s defenders argue the controversy is overblown and that the joke is clearly about jeans, not genes. Yet, as the online debate deepens, American Eagle’s silence is only fueling speculation. As of now, neither the company nor Sweeney has issued a statement.

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Trump’s Take: “If She’s Republican…”

In a surprising twist, Donald Trump weighed in on the controversy during a campaign stop in Ohio. When asked about the ad, Trump responded, “Sydney Sweeney? I think she’s great. If she’s Republican, she’s even better.” He went on to describe the backlash as “another example of woke nonsense,” dismissing concerns over racial undertones as manufactured outrage.

His comments added another layer to the discourse, with supporters praising his dismissal of “cancel culture,” while critics claimed his endorsement only confirmed suspicions about the ad’s tone-deaf messaging. Online, users quickly noted how Trump’s praise further politicized an already polarizing campaign.

As the controversy grows, one thing is clear: this denim campaign is unraveling far beyond the seams and making millions of dollars in the limelight.