Let's Take a Look at Sydney Sweeney's Adland Hits and Misses

American Eagle's stock surged. That's something, right?

As you probably know by now, Sydney Sweeney’s ads for American Eagle landed poorly.

This work ranks among the most controversial campaigns of the year. Sydney’s coquettishness was blasted as a regressive throwback to the silly (and ultimately sad) hyper-sexuality of an era when nothing got between Brooke Shields and her Calvins.

The puns about Syd’s “jeans” and “genes” are painful. Some found them offensive, throwbacks to notions of eugenics delivered by a Hollywood A-lister who conforms to idealized and outdated ideals of American beauty.

We doubt AE can even spell eugenics (we struggled on the first try). Mostly, these ads are just bad. They combine a trendy star with trendy minimalist aesthetics for no real purpose.

There’s nothing there. Nothing between Sydney and her denim, perhaps. And surely no brand proposition that fits. Try this pun: recessive jeans. The whole thing’s weak, and moving in the wrong direction.

Yes, AE’s shares surged. But there’s nothing here to build on, no transcendent style or equity—unlike, say, Levi’s lauded spots with Beyoncé.

Another problem is tone. It’s almost like a spoof, but seems to lack self awareness and tries to have things both ways. Maybe if she’d read a version of Shields’ scripts, line for line, and then snapped “Eyes up HERE!” to break the stereotype? That might’ve rocked a chill postmodern vibe.

Of course, Sydney’s generated adland controversy before, most notably for Dr. Squatch. Remember when they sold soap made with her bathwater? It happened just a month ago. Feels like ages.

That one was panned in some quarters as tasteless and weird. Still, it generated big buzz. The 5,000 bars, priced at $8, sold out almost immediately and some surfaced on eBay priced north of $1,000.

Sweeney’s earlier “Bodywash Genie” for Sqatch channeled a Barbara Eden vibe (no navel!). That one generated mainly praise, with Sydney applauded for her wry, playful performance.

In 2023, a tongue-in-cheek Ford initiative, complete with merch, was well received. Who knew Syd was so handy around the garage?

Our fave, though, is the most absurd, and dates back to 2020. It’s an ad from Webtoons of mythic proportions. Sweeney plays Persephone—the Ancient Greek Queen of the Dead!—with her skin, hair and nails slathered in pink paint.

The role she was born to play? Perhaps not. Still, throughout her ad career, Syd’s never been boring. For better or worse, she helps put brands in the headlines.

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