Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle.Credit : American Eagle

 Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign  initially sparked a social media firestorm days after it launched, over its perceived messaging.

The fall campaign titled ” Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans ” released by the retailer on Wednesday, July 23, the 27-year-old actress serves up her signature sex appeal while modeling various denim styles.

The campaign sees the Euphoria actress in fall-centric denim, pulled together by her stylist Molly Dickson. One look sees her in a modern Canadian tuxedo with bold blue jeans and a matching jacket, while another includes super-baggy light-wash jeans with a white tee and then a similar pair but distressed, worn with a white tank.

It’s not the clothing that’s dividing fans, though — it’s the script.

“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” she says as the camera pans to her face. “My jeans are blue.”

Then, a narrator in voiceover says, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”

Sydney Sweeney stars in American Eagle’s Fall 2025 campaign.American Eagle

Some critics claim the usage of the word “jeans” as a play on “genes” hints at eugenics. Per the National Institute of Health (NIH), eugenics “is broadly defined as the use of selective breeding to improve the human race.”

The campaign is also drawing comparisons to Brooke Shields’ controversial Calvin Klein ad from 1980. The actress’ age (she was 15 at the time) sparked controversy due to the commercial’s provocative tagline: “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

Despite the controversy, American Eagle’s stock increased 10 percent in just a few days, adding more than $200 million to the group’s value, per Vanity Fair.