Sydney Sweeney's 'great jeans' campaign sparks online war

Sydney Sweeney’s new campaign with American Eagle has sparked a war online due to its controversial tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” somehow conveying a double meaning, with many suggesting it is not only talking about ‘great jeans’, instead it subtly alludes to “great genes.”

In the video clip from the campaign, Sweeney lounges while buttoning her jeans, saying, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”

Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle, oh my god. pic.twitter.com/tDkeGT9R7G

— Sydney Sweeney Daily (@sweeneydailyx) July 24, 2025

The abovementioned gestures and stance by Sydney Sweeney caused reactions online.

People across social media have levelled criticism spanning the gamut, with some saying the campaign promotes ‘white supremacy’ and ‘eugenics’, while others have called it ‘sterile’, a sign of ‘regression’ or simply ‘rage bait’.

But many others have applauded the campaign, posting comments like “woke is broke!” and “culture shift!”

Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas weighed in on the controversy, posting a photo of Sweeney on X (formerly Twitter) and writing, “Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women. I’m sure that will poll well.”

American Eagle has not commented on the backlash, nor has Sweeney. In a statement released when the campaign launched, the company described the collaboration as a way to “further elevate its position as the #1 jeans brand for Gen Z,” calling Sweeney’s “girl-next-door charm” and “main character energy” the heart of the campaign.