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The genes/jeans play has been around for decades. I remember running a denim editorial circa 2000 and we used ‘good jeans’ back then (and wondered if it was too obvious/over-used back then). People need to screw their heads back on, and stop projecting so wildly. Btw it’s worth noting the market value of American Eagle has skyrocketed while a brand like Bud Light is in the bin. Advertising people live in a bubble, and to make good ads you need to not.
Chief
The entire concept is just a rehash of something from the Levi’s marketing back catalogue — an ad they did with Brooke Shields back in 1980. It’s just a hot celebrity in denim with kind of a clunky double entendre. It’s more or less timeless as an idea and was not calibrated to this moment, or at least I don’t think so.
That old idea, though, ported over into our crazy contemporary times, made the so-called “woke” left poop their pants and layer in a context of their own making, affectively politicizing AE as a brand by positioning it is an “extreme right wing” label…which, as the gains in share price have shown these past few days, has only proven to be a very powerful and profitable thing in MAGA America.
I say, as a lifelong liberal, that I really, really wish the left would unclutch its pearls and stop freaking out about non-issues like this campaign. It only makes us look crazy and ultimately works in opposition to our interests. A big takeaway for brands could be that disregarding things like equity and inclusion is actually good for business. This is how you volley easy wins and cede power to the other side.
100%
And I guarentee that MAGA is responding more to the outrage than the actual ad in terms of them supporting AE with their purchase power. So, yes, those injecting an opinion/narrative that wasn’t intended and doesn’t exist are just digging their own grave.
Controversial, yes. Malicious, no.
This.
I don’t even think that’s what their aim or realization was. Take a step back from all the opinions swirling online, and in the concept meetings and research everyone without batting an eye probably naively said “hey that’s a pretty good pun!” before anyone brought up the eugenics angle post launch.
I can tell you this is exactly what happened. I’ve seen it time and time again. Recently I’ve been up close (not to AE) to another well known brand on recent campaigns - you would be shocked at the tone deaf proposals and briefs we’ve received from their internal teams and had to push back on so it never saw the light of day. The groupthink that happens on the brand side is real, and it’s why they need trusted 3rd parties to help protect them and flag these things.
The American Eagle “concept” is a lazy play on words. I don’t think anyone put that much thought into it. The backlash is probably a surprise to them.
100% lazy but fashion brands always go for cheap controversy over substance. It was totally planned.
You all live in a bubble. This ad is successful outside of ad people and left wing activists.
https://www.thedrum.com/news/2025/08/05/the-data-what-americans-really-think-american-eagle-s-sydney-sweeney-ad
"The majority of the respondents were white (76.8%)..."
This ad is successful with white people. The heart of the debate here really is, does American Eagle even care about everyone else? Do they need to?
I don’t subscribe to politics on the right, but if I’m being honest, I really thought the AE campaign was blown way out of proportion.
I think American eagle knew what they were doing more than people would like to believes. This current environment has absolutely emboldened people to say the quiet part out loud and has been growing since 2016. It would have NEVER EVER passed our idea panel at my current agency. Its stock is up (for now) and barely up as it crashed a bit after the fallout. They are still down for the quarter overall. It’ll be interesting to see if people change their buying habits (I predict they won’t in this case).
You saying I don’t think that you are right it’s an opinion. It’s saying you are wrong. And yes, I have traveled PLENTY around this country. When BIPOC, LGBT+, immigrants, scientists, journalist are being harmed every day because of lack of empathy for one one - yes I am angry. Yes, I am. This country deserves better than this. Our democracy is on thin ice. I don’t put my head in the sand and pretend that everything is okay when it’s not because I’m tired of pointing it out. I don’t give people passes when they shouldn’t get them. American eagle and so many other corporations are doing exactly what they want and know exactly what they are doing with their support of this racist, women hating, fascist regime is now out in the open. The fact that you can’t see that is mind blogging.
I even said I don’t thing the outrage is going to translate into any consequences for the brand but you blow right on by that so again don’t act like I also wasn’t being rationale in stating MY OPINION.
Great question, I debate something similar to this all the time now, especially as we’re entering an era where potty humor seems to be the new trend.
Pretty sure it went like this in AE’s collective mind:
Influencer + 80s nostalgia =💰
Damn not Sydney getting demoted to "influencer"
I know this isn’t the most relevant part of the backlash, but from a craft perspective none of the team felt embarrassed to rip off the Brooke Shields ad? Didn’t even mention it in the press from what I’ve read.
Were we going to pretend it was an original concept?
Provocative, break through, different… controversial towards marginalized communities or punches down- no. And you’re in advertising, not an artist.
I've worked on a few campaigns that we knew to be controversial from the get-go. What we didn't foresee was how they would end up being politicized, embraced by one side and lambasted by the other. I kinda miss the days when you could run a shocking concept and political affiliation had no bearing on its effectiveness (or lack thereof).