“Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”

That's the line at the center of American Eagle (AE)’s Fall ‘25 campaign. At face value, it’s an innocent, lighthearted play on words; a pun between the words “jeans” and “genes.” But then came the ad that turned these five words into a full-blown controversy. In the ad, Sweeney utters, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.” Suddenly, all eyes were on AE’s campaign, and people weren’t laughing. Many felt like the campaign was out of touch and racially tone-deaf. Since Sweeney has European features, it felt like certain traits were being marketed as superior, echoing sentiments reminiscent of eugenics. Add in the sexualized imagery, such as a prolonged close-up shot of Sweeney suggestively moving her hands along her hips, and the campaign quickly became uncomfortable for a lot of people.

Despite the public backlash, Sweeney stayed silent, and when AE finally spoke, their statement wasn’t an apology. Instead, they said, “‘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.” This response only poured fuel on the fire. Social media began overflowing with viral reactions to the ad. One TikTok user known as GenericArtDad said, “The new American Eagle Ad with Sydney Sweeney? That's Eugenics. Nazi propaganda.” But while some were outraged, others defended AE and Sweeney, claiming that internet leftists were overreacting. For example, one user on X commented, “The Left hates us… they put a racial lens on, but even that does not explain it all. They are mentally sick.” Additionally, articles were being published left and right by outlets such as The New York Times and Buzzfeed. Soon, the effects of controversy began to spill into the real world. Foot traffic in American Eagle stores dropped by nine percent in just two weeks. It’s safe to say that the internet was pissed.

Then, on August 19, 2025,  GAP launched their Fall ‘25 campaign titled “Better in Denim” featuring global girl group KATSEYE. KATSEYE is a six-member group explicitly created with the goal of diversity, the product of a collaboration between popular music labels Hybe and Geffen. The ad itself was a one minute thirty-one second dance video recorded to the 2003 hit “Milkshake” by Kelis. It’s a throwback to Y2K-era GAP dance commercials, complete with a catchy song and carefully choreographed steps. People enjoyed the fun, playful ad, and that is apparent in the campaign's success. In its first three days, the campaign accumulated over twenty million views on various social media platforms and led to the rise of a viral dance challenge.

The difference between the ads, especially given the AE controversy, is stark, and immediately people began to compare the two campaigns. Placed side by side, AE and GAP highlighted very different strategies: American Eagle brushed up against the edge of humor and insensitivity, while GAP leaned into nostalgia, inclusivity, and fun.  GAP’s messaging says: anyone can wear this, everyone looks good in denim. In contrast, American Eagle’s campaign narrows the lens to one highly curated, hyper-sexualized image of beauty, anchored in Sweeney’s blue eyes, blond hair, and pale skin. That contrast is why AE’s ad feels so loaded.  It taps into a long history of fashion advertising that celebrates certain “genetic markers”—thinness, whiteness, Eurocentric features—and codes them as aspirational. 

But something bigger than a couple of commercials is happening here. Brands are using America's cultural divides, some by retreating from diversity initiatives, others by making them a foundational part of their identity. AE's "genes" pun wasn't just a joke. It was tied to the way race, politics, and desirability remain entrenched within fashion and our wider culture. Partisan divides became the center of this controversy when liberals said that AE was promoting harmful messages, while conservatives—including political figures like JD Vance—framed the outrage as an example of “woke” hypersensitivity. Even President Donald Trump publicly defended Sweeney, using the controversy to call out "woke losers" and endorse the Republican Party. This moment concludes with one key take-away: politics are unavoidable. The question for brands is no longer if they're going to engage in politics—it's which side of the political divide they're willing to stand on.

Information retrieved from American Eagle, GAP, YAHOO Finance, NPR, AP News, Medium, Parade, Le Monde, Newsweek, Hindustan Times, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and AXIOS.