Summary
American Eagle released a new ad featuring Sydney Sweeney that references a past controversy involving the brand and the actress. Despite strong online backlash over the previous campaign, American Eagle's sales and stock price improved, showing that social media criticism did not hurt its business.
Key Facts
- American Eagle launched a new ad for its jean shorts starring Sydney Sweeney.
- The ad refers to a 2025 campaign with the slogan "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," which caused controversy over alleged coded messages.
- The earlier campaign received criticism, especially from left-leaning online commentators, for perceived racial and political implications.
- Sydney Sweeney faced political scrutiny after photos linked her family to MAGA supporters, and President Trump praised the original campaign.
- Despite the online backlash, American Eagle's stock rose by 6 percent after launching the new campaign.
- The brand chose to continue working with Sweeney, showing confidence in its customer base rather than social media critics.
- Sweeney has remained visible and successful, starring in major projects and maintaining a large social media following.
- Experts say the controversy increased engagement and sales, highlighting a gap between online outrage and real-world effects.
