Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Anna Betts

American Eagle faces backlash over ‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ ad

a woman poses for a photograph
Sydney Sweeney attends a film premiere in London on 10 June 2025. Photograph: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

A new ad campaign from American Eagle starring the US actor Sydney Sweeney is meeting backlash, with some critics alleging online that the advertisement’s punny use of the phrase “great jeans” is a coded promotion of eugenics.

In the campaign, the 27-year-old Euphoria and White Lotus star is dressed in American Eagle denim outfits, accompanied by the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.