SILENT EXPLOSION FROM A PHOTO: American Eagle’s New Collection Sparks Storm Over ‘Classical American Beauty’

On July 23, 2025, American Eagle Outfitters unveiled its fall denim campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney, igniting a firestorm that reverberated across social media and news outlets. Titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” the campaign was intended to celebrate the retailer’s new collection, dubbed “Classical American Beauty” by some media outlets, with a playful pun on “jeans” and “genes.” However, a single promotional photo of Sweeney—blonde, blue-eyed, and clad in a tight tank top and low-rise jeans—unleashed a torrent of controversy, with critics accusing the campaign of promoting eugenics, white supremacy, and outdated beauty standards. The backlash, coupled with a 10% surge in American Eagle’s stock, has sparked a heated debate about race, beauty, and corporate intent in a polarized cultural landscape.

The campaign, launched with 3D billboards in Times Square and viral social media videos, leaned into Sweeney’s “girl-next-door” charm, as described by American Eagle’s chief marketing officer, Craig Brommers. In one clip, viewed over 1.1 million times on Instagram, Sweeney stands before a poster reading “Sydney Sweeney has great genes,” with “genes” crossed out and replaced with “jeans.” Another video features her saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My jeans are blue,” as the camera pans her denim-clad figure. The wordplay, meant to be clever, was slammed by critics as tone-deaf, with some alleging it echoed eugenics rhetoric, a discredited theory tied to white supremacy.

Social media platforms like TikTok and X exploded with reactions. A TikTok user with 1.4 million views called the ad “fascist propaganda,” arguing that highlighting a blonde, blue-eyed actress in the context of “genes” was a “dog whistle” for racial superiority. Another post on Threads stated, “American History is ugly… Black ppl + and the ppl who ‘knows what’s up’ pick on the micro-aggressions,” pointing to the campaign’s perceived racial undertones. Critics like Professor Robin Landa told Newsweek, “The campaign’s pun isn’t just tone-deaf—it’s historically loaded,” referencing the U.S. eugenics movement’s history of promoting white genetic superiority.

Conversely, conservative voices embraced the campaign as a rejection of “woke” marketing. Senator Ted Cruz reposted a news story on X, commenting, “Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women,” while right-wing pundit Richard Hanania hailed it as an “anti-woke” triumph. Some fans dismissed the backlash as overblown, with one TikTok user writing, “It’s NOT that serious guys .” The controversy, far from hurting American Eagle, boosted its stock by 10-18%, adding over $200 million to its value, suggesting that the outrage inadvertently amplified the brand’s visibility.

American Eagle responded on August 1, 2025, via Instagram, stating, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. Great jeans look good on everyone.” The retailer emphasized the campaign’s charitable aspect, noting that proceeds from “the Sydney Jean,” featuring a butterfly appliqué for domestic violence awareness, would support the Crisis Text Line. Yet, the statement failed to quell critics, who argued the campaign’s imagery and messaging clashed with the brand’s prior inclusive efforts, like its 2017 denim hijab and collaboration with Coco Gauff.

The debate reflects deeper cultural tensions. Marketing experts, like Cheryl Overton, told TODAY.com that the ad “doesn’t exist in a vacuum” but in a country “grappling with social standards rooted in whiteness.” The campaign’s retro aesthetic, reminiscent of Brooke Shields’ 1980 Calvin Klein ad, was criticized for catering to the male gaze, with Sweeney’s sexualized poses drawing comparisons to 1990s marketing. Rachel Lowenstein of H2 Marketing Group noted, “When you pair that kind of wordplay with a blond, blue-eyed actress, it can unintentionally reinforce narrow, Eurocentric beauty standards.”

Sweeney, a 27-year-old star of Euphoria and The White Lotus, has faced similar controversies before, notably in 2022 when guests at her mother’s birthday party wore MAGA-style hats, fueling speculation about her politics. She later clarified the hats were meant to be “funny,” but her image as a conservative-leaning figure persists, amplified by her role in this campaign. Despite the backlash, Sweeney’s marketability remains strong, with brand deals for Miu Miu, Armani Beauty, and Dr. Squatch, though her omnipresence risks overexposure.

The “Classical American Beauty” label, coined by some media, underscores the campaign’s divisive reception. While American Eagle aimed to evoke nostalgia and relatability, critics argue it recentered whiteness at a time when Gen Z demands inclusivity. Lola Bakare, a marketing advisor, told The Drum, “In 2025, the marketing leadership should possess cultural intelligence… to foresee how the verbal and visual language would be interpreted.” The campaign’s success in driving sales and attention, however, suggests that controversy can be lucrative, even if ethically fraught.

As the dust settles, the “silent explosion” from Sweeney’s photo has exposed the complexities of modern advertising. American Eagle’s gamble—pairing a provocative pun with a polarizing figure—has paid off financially but alienated some of its progressive base. The storm over “Classical American Beauty” reflects a broader cultural rift, where a single image can ignite debates about race, gender, and power. For now, Sweeney and American Eagle remain at the center of a conversation that shows no signs of slowing down.