Latest news with #adcampaign

The Verge

2 hours ago

Entertainment
The Verge

About that weird blue jeans ad.

Posted Jul 30, 2025 at 3:33 PM UTC About that weird blue jeans ad. Actor Sydney Sweeney is currently embroiled in a days-long 'discourse' cycle about a campaign she shot with American Eagle. The ad — and whether it's a eugenics dog whistle — is one thing. But I liked this Atlantic piece that zoomed out and put the outrage and online content cycle into perspective. Chat, is discourse cooked? The Discourse Is Broken [ Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Mia Sato Features Writer, The Verge Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Mia Sato Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Culture Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Social Media Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech

Trump Jr skewered for Instagram post where he referred to his dad's AI parody of Sydney Sweeney ad as ‘so hot'

The Independent

3 hours ago

Entertainment
The Independent

Trump Jr skewered for Instagram post where he referred to his dad's AI parody of Sydney Sweeney ad as ‘so hot'

Social media users have mocked Donald Trump Jr after he shared an AI-generated image of his father in double denim amid the furor surrounding actor Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign. 'That Hanse…. Um, Donald is so hot right now!!!' said Trump Jr on Instagram Tuesday night, seemingly in a reference to the supermodel character played by Owen Wilson in the Zoolander movies, Hansel McDonald. The image shows the president lying down on the floor in a pair of jeans and a denim shirt, looking at the camera. It's an obvious reference to the controversial ad campaign put forward by American Eagl e, which has led to a debate about racism. The campaign shows Sweeney, 27, wearing the brand's denim, along with the words 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans' — in what some say is a play on the words 'good genes.' American Eagle faced a litany of negative comments regarding the ad campaign, with activist Zellie Imani writing on X that 'The American Eagles [sic] ad wasn't just a commercial. It was a love letter to white nationalism and eugenic fantasies, and Sydney Sweeney knew it.' The pushback led to a backlash from conservatives, with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas writing on X, 'Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I'm sure that will poll well….' White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called it '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****,' he added. American Eagle CEO Jay Schottenstein is part of a family dynasty that has previously faced reports of its public affection for the president. The family has long been members of the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and reportedly has a personal relationship with Trump, The Daily Beast noted. Trump Jr's post received thousands of comments, with many making reference to the Epstein files. 'That's enough internet for the week,' one user said. 'Are you really proudly posting [an] image of your father while he is already an international laughingstock?' another added. 'He looks like a clown,' another Instagram user said. 'Daddy's little golf trip cost Americans $10 million. Trump family are a pack of self-absorbed a**holes,' one account holder argued.

Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Ads Sized Up by Crisis Specialists

Yahoo

6 hours ago

Entertainment
Yahoo

Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle Ads Sized Up by Crisis Specialists

Nearly a week after American Eagle released its new ad campaign with Sydney Sweeney, many are still dissing or discussing it, depending whom you ask. For many, the online and social media backlash was rooted in the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Genes.' In one promotional video, the 27-year-old 'White Lotus' and 'Euphoria' actress is seen lying on the floor zipping up her jeans, as she says, 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color.' The camera then focuses on her face, when she says, 'My jeans are blue.' The narrator then says the tagline: 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Some questioned the narrative and the use of 'genes' as a sign of eugenics. More from WWD The Costumes of 'The Gilded Age' Are a Part of Real Life History American Eagle Bets Big on Sydney Sweeney to Rev Up Fall Denim Sales Sebastiano Pigazzi Reflects on 'And Just Like That,' Family Legacy and His Journey to the Screen Media requests to American Eagle and its spokesperson at the outside public relations firm Shadow were unreturned Monday and Tuesday. Sweeney's agency MN2S did not respond to a media request, nor did a representative for the fashion stylist Molly Dickson, who worked on the campaign. Moroch Partners' chief executive officer Matt Powell described the controversy as 'a non-troversy, as the connection is very much a stretch.' He said, 'The smart play for the brand is to not respond in this case. This is especially true knowing that American Eagle is traditionally more conservative and avoids polarizing or provocative stances. If they were to join the conversation, they'd need to be prepared for the conversation that comes with it. Staying silent doesn't fuel the fire.' Crisis communications specialist Molly McPherson was unable to comment Tuesday but referred to her Instagram post about the situation. In an Instagram Story, she said, 'If you look at the Sydney Sweeney ad and the campaign that is tying in her blue jeans with blue eyes and blonde hair, you think, 'Hmm…' When they conceived that ad, it went through all of those different people, and nobody flagged the content thinking it might cause outrage? When you walk into an American Eagle store and look at the customer base, are they worried about outrage online based on this campaign? Not likely.' McPherson said it doesn't matter if it's American Eagle or a Ryan Reynolds-produced ad with Gwyneth Paltrow, nothing is a coincidence. She said, 'Everything is choreographed for a reason. There is a puppeteer, who is designing a campaign whether it's an ad or PR to get you to think about it, have an emotion about it, talk about with other people, and to talk about it online. In the end, it all comes down to this [rubbing a thumb over an index symbol as a sign of money.]' Prior to the launch in an interview with WWD, American Eagle's chief marketing officer Craig Brommers described the campaign as 'potentially one of the biggest gets in American Eagle history.' He said, 'Sydney Sweeney is the 'It' girl of the moment, and she is helping us create the 'It' jeans campaign of the season. Sydney really encapsulates American Eagle. She is the girl who can play the red carpet but she's also the girl next door, and that duality really defines Gen Z and Millennials.' American Eagle is also partnering with Snapchat, which Brommers flagged as 'the number-one way that Gen Z communicates with one another.' The brand is creating sponsored Snap Stories, that will allow Sweeney to directly message users. A spokesperson for Snapchat declined to say whether it plans to modify its involvement or to comment about the criticism that the campaign is reminiscent of Nazi terminology, and perceived similarities to Calvin Klein's 1981 campaign with Brooke Shields. Media requests to Be Real, which is also part of the campaign's digital efforts, were not acknowledged. Brommers had touted the campaign's reach in a LinkedIn post last week that attracted praise and criticism. The initial game plan included a Sphere takeover in Las Vegas, 3D billboards in Times Square and Los Angeles, the first ever Broadcast Channel on Instagram, a Pinterest board with Sweeney's picks, AI try on technology for AE's 'Great Jeans' and a 'Euphoria' partnership on HBO Max. Caitlin Duffy-Ryon, founder and chief marketing officer of AI Safety & Literacy, posted, 'Please explain the thinking behind literally using 'genes' in some of the launch advertising? It's extremely disconcerting to see, especially given today's political climate.' Anastasia Karklina Gabriel, author of 'Cultural Intelligence for Marketers,' wrote, 'What exactly was the cultural 'insight' behind this outrageously racist and explicitly eugenics coded campaign about blue genes/jeans?' Others used social media to critique the creative for being similar to Brooke Shields' 'Nothing comes between me and my Calvins' campaign from 1981. A spokesperson for the designer Calvin Klein declined to comment Monday about either controversy tied to the new American Eagle campaign. The campaign's debut spurred a rally for the stock, which reportedly increased the market value of the brand by more than $400 million. American Eagle's shares increased by 4.2 percent on July 24, the day the campaign was released. And after the market closed on Tuesday, its stock price finished slightly down by 4.16 percent. Evan Nierman, founder and chief executive officer of the global crisis public relations firm Red Banyan, suggested that American Eagle has 'let too much time pass not acknowledging the backlash. The brand has failed to get ahead of the narrative, which is allowing online speculation and outrage to spread.' 'When a campaign sparks this level of cultural criticism, a well-crafted, timely response is everything. American Eagle's inaction suggests either unpreparedness or a calculated gamble that the storm will pass. Executives may feel good about the elevated share price, yet a silent approach does not inspire public confidence or brand credibility,' he said. From his view, 'any delay in clarifying the campaign's intent and emphasizing its values 'is only going to amplify the perception that it's indifferent to public concerns. In time, that share price could easily drop,' Nierman said. Sew Branded's founder Scott Woodward said Craig Brommers is 'a very fine CMO and Jennifer Foyle is a brilliant merchant and executive, but I would have addressed it by now.' He compared the Sweeney campaign as being as 'tone deaf big' as Kendall Jenner's 2017 Pepsi commercial that was titled 'Live for Now — Moments.' Pepsi pulled that ad, after being criticized for attempting to capitalize on the Black Lives Matter movement by imitating protests. Woodward said of American Eagle's situation, 'It's not going to go away. I don't think they thought it would land this way with youth and media people. They love being loved too much.' Drexel University professor Joseph H. Hancock said the campaign needed 'some major rethinking.' He said, 'I am not only concerned for the main brand AE, but for their affiliate brands like Aerie, Todd Snyder, and Unsubscribed because they are becoming tied to the controversy.' Speculating that the campaign could make some consumers not shop there anymore, Hancock said, 'I worked for major companies like Gap and Limited Brands, and saw that when one division does something controversial, it transfers to everyone else.' 'This all reminds me of Calvin Klein and Brooke Shields when everyone said Klein was doing kiddie porn with the then-15-year-old who did the jeans ads…The conservatives went crazy but Klein sold the heck out of those jeans! Even the images remind me of that ad campaign,' said Hancock. Best of WWD Longtime Vogue Editor Grace Mirabella Dies at 91 First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Helps Forbes Celebrate Its 50 Over 50 List Mikaela Shiffrin Gets Personal in New Series for Outside+ Solve the daily Crossword

Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans campaign hilariously spoofed by comedian amid 'woke' controversy

Daily Mail

2 days ago

Entertainment
Daily Mail

Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle jeans campaign hilariously spoofed by comedian amid 'woke' controversy

Sydney Sweeney 's American Eagle ad campaign has debuted to strong reactions from fans and financial markets, leading one comedian to spoof it to plaudits from his audience. Los Angeles-based comedian Michael Pavano owned the moment and parodied the promotion centered around the A-list actress, 27, in a new clip posted to his Instagram and TikTok pages, which have more than 1.1 million combined followers. Pavano, who has past donned drag ensembles for online comedy bits on his social media platforms, racked up more than 13,000 likes in two hours on Monday for his spoof of the Sweeney advertisement. Pavano, who appeared on the TV series Big Top earlier this year, captioned the clip 'gripping all the right places' adding emojis of jeans and a heart; and hashtags for phrases such as satire, parody and impressions. Pavano, a veteran of The Groundlings comedy troupe, donned a purple denim ensemble, a dark brown wig and of strategically placed a pair of balloons for comedic purposes. Pavano, who appeared in the 2023 short film Shatter, added a voiceover in which he made a series of pretentious nonsensical statements about genetics. Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad campaign has debuted to strong reactions from fans and financial markets leading comedian Michael Pavano to spoof it to plaudits from his audience In the voiceover, Pavano mocked the overt double meaning of the phrases jeans/genes in a parody of the American Eagle ad campaign. 'Jeans are passed down from parents to us, often determining traits like your hair color ... and even eye color,' Pavano said. 'My jeans are blue - so they're like, better than yours. They say people with blonde hair and blue eyes, their nature is favorite. I don't say it, but they do - but I buy it. The vapid and hypersexual monologue was a clear lampooning of the ad campaign centered around the A-list actress that had been garnering controversy in recent days over a potential double meaning of the phrase jeans. He continued: 'I mean, who wouldn't want my jeans? I know you do, you dirty boy. Let's be so real. Tight blue jeans from American Eagle is the only denim I'll put on my body - and it's not just the denim that's tight.' Pavano said in the skit, 'This pair of blue denim is clinging to me for dear life ... I like it when they stretch super wide and slide right in - I mean on. 'They hug all the right places - and some very wrong ones.' The viral clip was mocking American Eagle's autumn advertising rollout, which has the tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.' In a series of images, the Spokane, Washington-born beauty - who is set to play boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic already garnering Oscar buzz - is seen modeling a variety of denim-based ensembles. In an accompanying video, Sydney is seen buttoning up her jeans as she muses: 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour... my genes are blue'. A second advert sees the camera pan down Sydney's chest as she models a plunging denim jumpsuit. She muses: 'My body's composition is determined by my genes...' before exclaiming: 'Hey, eyes up here' as the camera cuts back to her face. The advert has divided fans, however, with one critic calling the clip 'one of the loudest and most obvious racialized dog whistles we've seen and heard in a while.' The phrase 'great genes' is 'historically used to celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness,' which it said made 'this campaign seem to be a tone-deaf marketing move,' a Salon report on the backlash read. Taking to social media, many expressed their shock at messaging - which they aligned to Nazi propaganda. Outraged fans penned: 'So Sydney (& American Eagle) somehow expect audiences to not interpret this visual as a euphemism for eugenics and white supremacy?' 'The Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad campaign is just modern day Nazi propaganda. Like it's wild how blatant it is. Things are weird right now, man.'; 'the most nazi part of the Sydney sweeney add for me was the use of the word offspring'; ''Jeans (Genes) are past down from parent to offspring' 'My jeans (genes) are blue' 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans (genes)' Nothing is ever a coincidence, this is eugenics'; TikTok named Angie under the handle @vital_media_marketing then reviewed the ad and pointed out what she felt were problematic elements with the underlying message. Angie said: As it's panning up her body and on her face and her features, she's literally talking about her family tree and the genetics that have been handed down to her, her blonde hair and her blue eyes, and how great they are.' Angie said that 'praising Sydney Sweeney for her great genes in the context of her white blonde hair, blue eye appearance' makes for 'one of the loudest and most obvious racialized dog whistles we've seen and heard in a while.' Many people panned the tone of the ad campaign on American Eagle's Instagram page, as one user quipped, It's giving "Subtle 1930's Germany."' Another user echoed, 'Close enough, welcome back 1930s Germany.' One person said the promotion 'is what happens when you have no [people] of color in a room ... particularly in a time like this. 'This ad campaign got so caught up in this 'clever' play on words and this stunt the ppl in the room missed what was so blatantly obvious to anyone not White. I'd expect this from Abercrombie… but not yall.' One user wrote of the promotion featuring the surging star, 'This is such a f****d up campaign' while another called it 'weird as hell.' Others vented about the message they felt the campaign inherently sent, as one said they were 'never shopping at AE again' while another asked the fashion house, 'What are you doing???' One Instagram user speculated, 'This has to be rage bait,' while another suggested the clothing retailer 'read the room…' in reference to the current campaign. Another user asked, 'Who on your marketing team said this was a good idea.' The advert has divided fans, however, with one critic calling the clip 'one of the loudest and most obvious racialized dog whistles we've seen and heard in a while.' Yet many were quick to defend Sydney, branding the backlash 'unhinged'. They shared on X/Twitter: 'I'm not sure how to say this nicely but if you think a jeans ad with a pun about Sydney Sweeney being pretty is a nazi dogwhistle you genuinely need to put the phone down for a while.'; 'everyone is seriously reading too much into this and y'all need to go take a hike or something because sydney sweeney is literally just promoting jeans, not 'nazi propaganda''; 'The claim that Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad is pro-eugenics because of a 'good genes/jeans' pun is genuinely unhinged. It's a denim campaign, not a manifesto. Not every blonde with blue eyes is a Nazi. Some of you need a history book — and a nap'; 'You guys don't have to like Sydney Sweeney or the ways she promotes herself but don't you think comparing those Jean commercials to nazi propaganda is a tad extreme?' Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Sweeney and American Eagle for further comment on the story. Sweeney said in a July 23 news release about the fall campaign: 'There is something so effortless about American Eagle.' She said of the clothier: 'It's the perfect balance of being put-together but still feeling like yourself.' Sweeney said in a July 23 news release about the fall campaign: 'There is something so effortless about American Eagle – it's the perfect balance of being put-together but still feeling like yourself' In terms of the charitable aspect of the ad campaign, American Eagle Outfitters is working with Crisis Text Line in an effort to provide grants for mental health support and crisis intervention The Euphoria star continued: 'Their commitment to creating pieces that make you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin is something that resonates with me. 'It's rare to find a brand that grows with you, the way American Eagle has for generations.' The Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood actress wrapped up in saying, 'They have literally been there with me through every version of myself.' American Eagle Outfitters president Jennifer Foyle opened up about the ad campaign, which is slated to raise money for domestic violence charities, in the news release. 'This fall season, American Eagle is celebrating what makes our brand iconic – trendsetting denim that leads, never follows,' Foyle said. 'Innovative fits and endless versatility reflect how our community wears their denim: mixed, matched, layered and lived in.' The fashion executive explained why Sweeney made for the perfect focal point of the promotion. 'With Sydney Sweeney front and center, she brings the allure, and we add the flawless wardrobe for the winning combo of ease, attitude and a little mischief,' Foyle said. In terms of the charitable aspect of the ad campaign, American Eagle Outfitters is working with Crisis Text Line in an effort to provide grants for mental health support and crisis intervention. Proceeds from a special edition of The Sydney Jean will be donated to the organization. Among the related grants include a $100,000 Signature Grant posted this past February 2025 in an effort to expand programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

How American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney ‘Good Jeans' ad went wrong

Washington Post