People Call Out American Eagle Outfitters For Appealing To “Ethnic Cleansing” In New Ad

A cheeky denim campaign starring Sydney Sweeney has spiraled into a bizarre controversy.

The 27-year-old actress starred in American Eagle Outfitters’ latest advertisement, part of the company’s most expensive campaign to date.

But netizens felt the DNA puns about her family had gone too far.

American Eagle’s latest campaign with Sydney Sweeney spiraled into a bizarre controversy

Sydney Sweeney posing in a white buttoned top at an event amid woke and ethnic cleansing controversy.

Image credits: Amy Sussman/GA/The Hollywood Reporter

“Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” reads the tagline of American Eagle’s campaign.

One of the campaign videos featured the Euphoria star buttoning up her jeans and saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color… my genes are blue.”

Sydney Sweeney seated in denim outfit sparking woke scandal with new ad accused of praising ethnic cleansing controversy.

Image credits: American Eagle

“My body’s composition is determined by my genes…” she said in another video.

“Hey, eyes up here,” she added, prompting the camera to focus on her face.

Netizens claimed the wordplay on “genes” and “jeans” was problematic, claiming it had the kind of tone used to glorify whiteness, thinness, and other traits touted as superior genes in certain cultures.

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring … my genes are blue,” the actress said in one ad

Sydney Sweeney standing barefoot, wearing a denim jacket and jeans, posing confidently against a plain background.

Image credits: AE.Com

It’s “modern day N*zi propaganda,” some said about the campaign.

“Anyone else see that (not so) subliminal white supremacy (N*zi) propaganda American Eagle commercial that Sydney Sweeney did? Literally hinting about blue eyes and “good jeans” (genes) it’s concerning. I always knew she was racist,” one claimed.

Some viewers claimed the campaign was celebrating whiteness and even called the actress “racist”

Sydney Sweeney sitting in a minimal room wearing jeans in an ad sparking woke scandal with ethnic cleansing accusations.

Image credits: American Eagle

Screenshot of a tweet criticizing Sydney Sweeney ads linked to a woke scandal over ethnic cleansing praise.

Image credits: bambied_

Screenshot of Twitter posts discussing Sydney Sweeney ad controversy involving woke backlash and ethnic cleansing accusations.

Image credits: _bbrandonn_

Another wrote, “The Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad campaign is just modern day N*zi propaganda. Like it’s wild how blatant it is. Things are weird right now, man.”

Sydney Sweeney posing in butterfly patch jeans and a pink top, linked to woke scandal and ethnic cleansing controversy.

Image credits: AE.Com

Tweet criticizing Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle over ad accused of praising ethnic cleansing sparks woke scandal.

Image credits: UncYoda

Others defended the campaign.

“This is quite a reach. She has great genes because she’s attractive. Not white,” one argued. “If they got Rihanna or Sofia Vergara to say the same thing, no one would care.”

“So Sydney Sweeney is being compared to n*zis now because of a clever ad saying her genes are good like American Eagle jeans? You people are so miserable it’s actually sad,” commented another.

Screenshot of a tweet discussing Sydney Sweeney facing backlash over an ad linked to woke and ethnic cleansing controversy.

Image credits: Sean7Faska

The latest American Eagle campaign led to company shares rising more than 10% before closing up 4.2% on July 24.

The Sydney-starring campaign helped add around $400 million to the value of the company.

The company’s shares rose more than 10% after the campaign was launched

Sydney Sweeney posing in denim outfit in a minimalistic room, linked to woke scandal and ethnic cleansing controversy.

Image credits: American Eagle

Tweet about Sydney Sweeney sparking a woke scandal with an American Eagle ad accused of praising ethnic cleansing.

Image credits: LadyGravemaster

Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers said they targeted the back-to-school season, which he referred to as the Super Bowl for jeans sales.

While talking about joining hands with the White Lotus actress, he said, “Sydney has shown that there’s not a red carpet, there’s not a premiere, there’s not a cultural event that she doesn’t stand out at, and we want our jeans to also play that role of being ok to dress down in a casual situation but also dress up on a more social occasion.”

 

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Tweet by Zia Yusuf about Sydney Sweeney's new ad sparking woke scandal and controversy over ethnic cleansing praise.

Image credits: ZiaYusufUK

Today, retail brands are struggling to get consumers to spend on apparel and accessories, as consumers are cutting back on non-essential purchases.

Hence, American Eagle’s intention behind launching a campaign was reportedly to help reconnect with shoppers and revive their demand. So, they took a chance with Sydney, the actress of the hour.

Not only did they make her the face of their fall denim campaign, but they also included a limited-edition denim jacket and another item called “The Sydney Jean.”

Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brommers said they targeted the back-to-school season, which he referred to as the Super Bowl for jeans sales

Sydney Sweeney posing in front of an American Eagle jeans billboard sparked woke scandal over ethnic cleansing claims.

Image credits: americaneagle

Tweet accusing Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad of praising ethnic cleansing, sparking woke scandal discussion.

Image credits: JebraFaushay

“To be able to partner with [Sweeney] on this is saying something, and it’s saying something in what has been a trickier retail environment this year, that American Eagle is still placing big bets,” said Brommers. “We are still the jeans authority, especially for Gen Z.”

Experts noted that celebrities can bring their signature star power to brand campaigns.

“Well-known personalities are always an easier way to tell a story quickly,” said BMO Capital Markets analyst Simeon Siegel. “It is one of the reasons athlete endorsements work so well.”

 

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Screenshot of a tweet discussing Sydney Sweeney woke scandal and controversy over accusations of praising ethnic cleansing in a new ad.

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Image credits: peterrhague

Earlier this year, Sydney starred in a campaign that sold soap bars made from her bathwater.

She partnered with soap brand Dr. Squatch to create a limited edition of soap bars called “Bathwater Bliss.”

“When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it, or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap,” the actress said in a press release in May.

The 27-year-old actress sold soap bars made from her bathwater earlier this year

Young woman in a denim jacket posing with arms raised, related to Sydney Sweeney woke scandal and ethnic cleansing controversy.

Image credits: AE.Com

The soap bars were created with exfoliating sand, pine bark extract, and some of Sydney’s real bathwater.

“It’s weird in the best way, and I love that we created something that’s not just unforgettable, it actually smells incredible and delivers like every other Dr. Squatch product I love,” she added. “Hopefully, this helps guys wake up to the realities of conventional personal care products and pushes them towards natural.”

Sydney Sweeney standing barefoot in denim outfit in front of modern blue chair, sparking woke scandal and ethnic cleansing debate.

Image credits: American Eagle

Only 5,000 bars of Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss were reportedly made, leading to Dr Squatch’s website crashing after they went on sale in June.

The soaps were later listed on eBay at prices ranging from $100 (£73) to $2000 (£1478).

Fans had mixed reactions to American Eagle’s latest campaign

Text post from user SpoopyButthole saying who the hell is the loan shark she’s indebted to, referencing Sydney Sweeney woke scandal.

Screenshot of a social media post criticizing Sydney Sweeney amidst a woke scandal over an ad accused of praising ethnic cleansing.

Text post criticizing a campaign for lacking diversity, sparking Sydney Sweeney woke scandal over ethnic cleansing claims.

Screenshot of online comment criticizing an ad linked to Sydney Sweeney woke scandal and accusations of praising ethnic cleansing.

User comment discussing the backlash around Sydney Sweeney woke scandal and ethnic cleansing accusations in a new ad.

Text post from bluetortuga expressing skepticism about a campaign's use of a diverse model roster amid Sydney Sweeney woke scandal.

Screenshot of a social media comment criticizing Sydney Sweeney over a controversial woke scandal linked to an ad campaign.

Sydney Sweeney pictured in a promotional setting amid controversy over woke scandal and ethnic cleansing accusations.

Sydney Sweeney in a controversial ad accused of praising ethnic cleansing, sparking a woke scandal and public backlash.

Comment from Lakridspibe expressing disbelief that the ad was unintentional, mentioning appeal to a specific consumer segment.

Comment from AfternoonPossible expressing frustration over a controversial ad sparking woke scandal debate.

Screenshot of a social media comment recalling diverse friends in the 80s and referencing United Colors of Benetton ads.

Comment discussing controversy and marketing risks related to woke scandal and ethnic cleansing accusations in Sydney Sweeney ad.

Comment discussing Sydney Sweeney sparks woke scandal over new ad accused of praising ethnic cleansing.

Comment discussing the controversial ad sparking a woke scandal related to ethnic cleansing and public reactions.

User comment expressing frustration over online outrage related to Sydney Sweeney woke scandal and ethnic cleansing accusations.

Text post expressing dislike for a campaign, questioning if reactions are generational, mentioning hair, metabolism, and genes.

Comment discussing Sydney Sweeney woke scandal and controversy over ad accused of praising ethnic cleansing.

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