A mental health support service will profit from the new Sydney Jean’s sales. However, reviewers have shifted their focus to disparaging the actress and the brand rather than emphasizing the positive aspects.
There are several similarities between me and actress Sydney Sweeney.
We both have blue eyes, the same birthday, and are local to the Pacific Northwest—I’m from Oregon, and she’s from Washington. I’m naturally blonde, but I’m not sure about hers.
There aren’t many similarities beyond that. While I work in the newsroom, Sweeney is a Hollywood star.
Sweeney’s timeless, approachable beauty is one of the reasons American Eagle chose the 27-year-old to be the face of their latest denim campaign.
With a lighthearted homage to Sweeney’s genes, the advertisement advertises her amazing jeans. She states in one place: Genes are inherited from parents to children and frequently determine characteristics such as eye color, personality, and hair color. I have blue jeans.
It’s witty, humorous, and obviously meant to stick in your memory.
However, some on the left have responded strongly to the advertising, accusing Sweeney and American Eagle of spreading damaging messages. Some detractors have even gone so far as to call the campaign a manifestation of white supremacist propaganda.
Such assertions represent a significant overreach. The campaign includes a humorous, lighthearted commercial with a young, successful actress. However, it has emerged as the most recent flashpoint in a larger cultural conflict, demonstrating how identity politics and woke ideology still control some facets of conversation even if voters in the 2024 election overwhelmingly rejected that approach.
Does Sydney Sweeney have a hearing impairment? Absolutely not.
American Eagle’s stock value surged at the announcement of the campaign on July 23, indicating that the market saw the partnership as a wise decision.
“This bold, playful campaign is characterized by Sweeney’s girl-next-door charm, main character energy, and her ability to not take herself too seriously,” American Eagle said on its website.
Sweeney co-designed the Sydney Jean, the campaign’s focal point, and all sales revenues will go to the Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that provides free, round-the-clock mental health care.
However, detractors immediately started a backlash rather than applauding the altruistic element. The campaign was criticized for being disconnected from current cultural discussions.
According to a Vulturewriter, an advertisement campaign that highlights how fantastic it is to be white, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed reads as somewhat tone-deaf at a time when DEI is being attacked and mass deportations are happening on a daily basis.
Vanity Fair also weighed in, posing the question: Did American Eagle just have a really stupid idea, or do Sydney Sweeney jeans have excellent quality? Although the wordplay may appear harmless, the article went on to say that there is a sinister message hidden beneath the pun.
It’s ironic that the same Vulture article recognized that the campaign honors the classic Calvin Klein advertisements from the 1980s that starred Brooke Shields.
Just nostalgia, or a cultural reset?
AE & Aerie president and executive creative director Jennifer Foyle stated, “With Sydney Sweeney at the forefront, she brings the allure, and we add the flawless wardrobe for the winning combo of ease, attitude, and a little mischief.”
So maybe it’s not some secret political statement, but just a sentimental callback?
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is regarded as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, said in a recent NPR interview that Democrats have occasionally found it difficult to adjust to cultural changes.
According to him, there is a belief that Democrats were so fixated on identity that they lost sight of a message that would resonate with all demographics.
That’s a reasonable evaluation. Rhetoric that prioritizes race, gender, and identity over common principles or objectives alienates a lot of Americans.
In actuality, the nation is still predominately white, and millions of voters are fed up with stories that portray their lives as fundamentally troubled. Such propaganda alienates people rather than fostering coalitions.
The increasingly divisive corporate and college diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies are now being retracted. Despite their good intentions, these initiatives have occasionally caused more divide.
For her part, Sweeney is only using her notoriety and reputation for a worthy cause, as many others would do in her position.
Additionally, American Eagle should be commended for maintaining its resolve in the face of criticism. Rather than pursuing short-term approval, they made a daring and ultimately successful branding choice.
