Some critics allege phrase is coded promotion of eugenics and accuse campaign of being ‘tone deaf’
A new ad campaign from American Eagle starring the US actor Sydney Sweeney is meeting backlash, with some critics alleging online that the advertisement’s use of the phrase “great jeans” is a coded promotion of eugenics.
In the campaign, the 27-year-old Euphoria and White Lotus star is dressed in American Eagle denim outfits, accompanied by the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”.
In one video clip shared by American Eagle on Instagram, Sweeney – who is blonde and blue-eyed – is standing in front of a poster of herself with text that reads “Sydney Sweeney has great genes”. In the video, the word “genes” gets crossed out and is replaced with the word “jeans”.
Another video from the campaign features Sweeney saying: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
