When American Eagle launched its denim marketing campaign that includes Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney, it had all of the makings of a viral sensation: a rising Hollywood icon, nostalgic Y2K trend, and a superbly social-ready rollout throughout TikTok and Instagram.
And viral it went—racking up tens of thousands and thousands of views and spawning numerous recreations. However behind the success was a wave of criticism that blindsided the model and opened a bigger dialog about inclusivity, magnificence requirements, and—unexpectedly—eugenics.
The Viral Second
The marketing campaign’s visuals struck the proper steadiness between polished and private. Sweeney appeared in low-rise denims and cropped tops, laughing, dancing, and embodying a care-free, cool-girl vibe that resonated with Gen Z’s love of nostalgia.
The advert shortly grew to become a development template on TikTok. Followers and influencers imitated the transitions, copied her outfits, and used the identical soundtrack in styling movies. Inside per week, the hashtag #AExSydney had greater than 50 million views.
“The marketing campaign undoubtedly had sturdy visuals and a viral-ready format,” mentioned Kyle McCarthy, a development advertising government. “However what actually pushed it into the cultural highlight was the controversy—particularly the backlash over physique requirements and the dialog round eugenics-adjacent magnificence beliefs. That discourse made it unavoidable on-line. Controversy all the time works for getting consideration, however it’s a must to all the time query if the short-term success is basically well worth the long-term injury to your model. Individuals don’t neglect and do you wish to be remembered for associating your model with eugenics? I’d not.”
The Backlash: Physique Picture and Eugenics Accusations
The success was shortly adopted by a wave of backlash. Critics argued the marketing campaign idealized a slim, non-inclusive magnificence customary centered round a skinny, white, blonde aesthetic that many seen as regressive. Some accused American Eagle of abandoning the body-positive values it had beforehand championed by focusing completely on a stereotypical “heroin stylish” picture.
However the criticism didn’t cease there. A subset of customers and cultural commentators raised issues in regards to the marketing campaign subtly evoking eugenic-era magnificence beliefs. The selection to highlight a really particular bodily kind—skinny, symmetrical, white—whereas excluding different physique sorts and racial representations, sparked accusations that the marketing campaign was “coded eugenics”—an aesthetic desire with troubling historic implications.
Whereas nobody accused American Eagle of explicitly selling eugenics, the dialog highlighted how advertising imagery can mirror deeper societal values and historic baggage. The marketing campaign grew to become a part of a broader discourse about which our bodies are thought-about marketable, fascinating, or aspirational in mainstream trend.
“Whether or not intentional or not, manufacturers can reinforce dangerous norms after they lean too closely into slim definitions of magnificence,” wrote one viral critic on X (previously Twitter), gaining over 30,000 likes. “This advert isn’t simply retro—it’s regressive.”
American Eagle’s Quiet Response
American Eagle didn’t concern a proper assertion however quietly started incorporating further physique sorts and numerous fashions into its web site and social content material. Nonetheless, some critics felt the transfer was too little, too late—particularly for a model that had beforehand made headlines for embracing physique positivity and mannequin range.
Advertising and marketing within the Age of Accountability
The Sydney Sweeney marketing campaign is a case examine within the double-edged nature of recent virality. Aesthetics and engagement metrics nonetheless matter—however so do values, illustration, and historic consciousness.”Going viral is not nearly views – it’s about values,” McCarthy added. “The backlash was a part of the marketing campaign’s attain. Controversy, for higher or worse, accelerates short-term consideration. However you all the time must determine if the controversy might trigger long-term model injury, which on this case, I think about shall be far-reaching.”
In a crowded market the place shoppers are more and more vocal about inclusion and authenticity, the American Eagle marketing campaign is a reminder that fashion with out substance is not sufficient.