The uproar surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s ad campaign for American Eagle took off on social media, but research indicates a different perspective among the general public.
Only 12% of Americans found the campaign offensive, while most considered it clever or had no strong opinion about it at all.
Interestingly, nearly 40% of respondents remarked on how well the ad highlighted that “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” according to a poll conducted by YouGov.
A survey carried out from August 9th to August 11th involving 1,635 adults revealed that men were more inclined than women to view the advertising positively—31% vs. 17%. Women, on the other hand, were more likely to see it as aggressive (17% compared to 7% of men).
Political views seemed to create a wider divide; Republicans were more likely to express favorable opinions about the campaign—57% labeled it smart—compared to just 22% of Democrats. Furthermore, older respondents showed greater receptivity than younger ones.
The breakdown of responses illustrated how factors like politics and age shaped perceptions of the ads.
Among those aged over 65, 34% viewed the ads as smart while 13% found them aggressive. Contrastingly, younger adults aged 18-29 had mixed feelings, with 45% seeing it as clever and 12% feeling it was inappropriate.
The differences by gender also stood out, indicating a tendency for women to react more negatively to the advertising.
The findings starkly contrast with the significant social media backlash the ads received upon their release in late July.
In the ads, Sweeney, the star of *Euphoria*, promotes her “Great Jeans” and mentions genetics in relation to the clothing line, which spurred some online critics to argue that it reflected eugenics and white supremacist undertones tied to the phrase “good genes.”
Others dismissed the ad as simply outdated.
Much of the initial criticism originated from a few less prominent accounts, but the situation gained momentum when conservative commentators and politicians began framing it as an example of exaggerated progressive reactions.
This contributed to a second wave of scrutiny, turning the ads into points of contention within the culture wars.
The controversy heightened when right-wing groups, including the Proud Boys, and figures like Donald Trump endorsed the campaign, reportedly highlighting Sweeney’s political affiliations as significant.
Vice President JD Vance used the opportunity to critique Democrats during a conservative podcast appearance.
“Did you learn anything from the November 2024 election?” Vance asked. “The lesson they took is, ‘We’re going to attack people as Nazis because we think Sydney Sweeney is beautiful.’ “
In response, American Eagle stated that the ad was simply about jeans and celebrating individual stories. Comments were sought from both Sweeney and American Eagle regarding the situation.
