Trending 
An American Eagle ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has ignited a national debate, drawing criticism that its use of the word “genes” is a coded message about race and identity.
In the ad, Sweeney, a blonde actress, makes puns like, “My body’s composition is determined by my genes.”
Critics, including brand strategist Cheryl Overton, argued the ad was an intentional “dog whistle” that played into a growing conservative and, potentially, white nationalist dialogue in America. “This is intentional.
This is pointed, and you’re calling out to the consumers that you hope to attract here,” Overton said. Others, like Northwestern University professor Shalini Shankar, agreed, stating, “People don’t invoke genetics casually. It’s very, very easy to sell denim without ever referencing it.”
Conversely, many dismissed the controversy as an overreaction. The White House weighed in, with a spokesperson calling the criticism “cancel culture run amok,” while Vice President JD Vance suggested Democrats were “attacking people as Nazis for thinking Sydney Sweeney is beautiful.”
Fashion writer Alyssa Vingan offered a more neutral view, calling the ad’s writing “lazy” and “cheap humour,” but acknowledging that in the current climate, it “reads very, very, very poorly and insensitively.”
Despite the mixed reactions, the ad was a major success in terms of visibility. American Eagle’s stock saw a brief surge, and many experts believe the campaign’s controversy was a calculated move.
Molly McPherson, a crisis and reputation strategist, called it “the modern formula for outrage marketing,” where brands “ride the wave” of controversy for clicks and coverage.
As the debate raged, American Eagle’s social media accounts fell largely silent before the company finally stated on Friday, simply saying, “Great jeans look good on everyone.”
The company’s attempt to promote a domestic violence charity through a limited run of jeans for Sweeney was largely lost amid the uproar.
Experts agreed that Sydney Sweeney herself will likely emerge from the controversy even more powerful, as she remains an enigmatic figure who is able to generate conversation without becoming the direct target of public anger.
