American Eagle has issued a statement in response to widespread backlash surrounding the ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ advertisements.
The brand defended the campaign in a post to Instagram overnight.
“‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the statement reads. “Her jeans. Her story.”
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“We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way,” the statement continues.
“Great jeans look good on everyone.”
The statement was posted with a navy graphic to the brand’s official Instagram account which boasts 3.7 million followers.
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It comes after the brand’s ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney – and the actress herself – came under fire from critics.
In the video, the Euphoria star begins by telling viewers, “I’m not here to tell you to buy American Eagle jeans,” she leans forward in her chair as she gets up, with the camera lingering on her chest.
As she walks away, the camera stays at the same height, staying on her bottom as she walks over to a mirror and says, “And I definitely won’t say they’re the most comfortable jeans I’ve ever worn, or that they make your butt look amazing.”
She continues to insist she’s not trying to sell you jeans, before the words, ”Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” flash on the screen, with the actress quipping, “See what I did there, right?”
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In another clip for the same campaign – which now seems to be hidden from American Eagle’s YouTube channel – Sweeney explains what “genes” (or “jeans”) are.
“My body’s composition is determined by my jeans,” the Anyone But You actress explained as the camera narrowed in on her breasts.
She playfully scolded the camera with, “Hey, eyes are up here,” before continuing, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour,”
The camera then panned to her blue eyes before she said, “My jeans are blue.”
The advertisement has drawn criticism, with many calling the campaign tone-deaf over it’s “great jeans” tagline. The word play between “jeans” and “genes” has also raised accusations that the advertisements allude to eugenics.
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