American Eagle defends Sydney Sweeney's ad, asserting it centralizes around the jeans
In a recent denim-focused fall campaign, American Eagle Outfitters featured actress Sydney Sweeney, known for her roles in "The White Lotus" and "Euphoria." The campaign, which showcased Sweeney in more than a dozen posts on the company's Instagram, was met with controversy due to its use of the word "genes."
Critics accused the campaign of promoting eugenics, white supremacy, and Nazi propaganda, citing the connection between "genes" and physical traits in the campaign's tagline and a teaser video where Sweeney says, "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color."
The new model in the campaign is nonwhite, and some commenters felt that the company was promoting the genes of a white, blond woman with its campaign. However, American Eagle Outfitters rejected these accusations, stating that the campaign was about celebrating how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. The company emphasized that great jeans look good on everyone.
Despite the backlash, Sydney Sweeney has not publicly commented on the controversy. Representatives for the actress did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the brand's new statement.
The controversy highlights the potential for unintended consequences in marketing campaigns. While American Eagle Outfitters' stated intent was to focus on jeans and confidence, the play on "genes" versus "jeans" unintentionally invoked themes associated with eugenics, white supremacy, and Nazi racial propaganda, sparking criticism.
Eugenics is a discredited and racist idea of improving human populations by controlled breeding for desirable inherited traits, historically linked to white supremacist and Nazi ideologies. White supremacy is the belief that white people are superior to other races and should dominate society. Nazi propaganda frequently used eugenic theories to justify racial discrimination and horrific policies like genocide.
American Eagle Outfitters has since made a statement rejecting the notion that the campaign promotes eugenics or white supremacy, stating that their focus is on jeans and confidence, not race or genetics. They celebrate diverse customers wearing their jeans their way.
Despite the controversy, the campaign has not been pulled, and it remains to be seen how the brand will respond to the criticism moving forward.
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- The controversy surrounding American Eagle Outfitters' denim campaign raises questions about the delicate balance in home-and-garden and shopping industries, highlighting the importance of carefully considering pop-culture implications in lifestyle marketing strategies.
- In light of the dispute, it appears that the everyday interpretation of genes as unique genetic traits can unknowingly intertwine with eugenics, white supremacy, and Nazi propaganda, reminding us of the significant impact our choices can have on entertainment and culture.
