American Eagle CEO Addresses Criticism Over Ad Campaign
On Monday, Jay Schottenstein, the CEO of American Eagle, dismissed the wave of criticism regarding the Sydney Sweeney advertising campaign, opting instead to convey a message of defiance.
The backlash stems from accusations of the campaign excessively highlighting racial themes. However, despite the intense scrutiny, the 71-year-old retail executive stood by his choice to proceed with the ads, as noted in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal. Schottenstein remained resolute, and his team was instructed to adopt a similar stance.
He encouraged his executives to keep a level head and prohibited employees from posting comments online. Instead, they were tasked with monitoring social media reactions through smaller in-house teams. Interestingly, he seemed uninterested in pulling the campaign altogether.
“We can’t escape fear,” Schottenstein remarked during his initial interview about the campaign. “We’re standing behind what we did.”
The billionaire CEO acknowledged the situation, revealing that he personally approved the Sweeney ads before their launch on July 23. He showed no hints of regret now that the initial uproar has calmed.
Marketing specialists have pointed to other companies, such as Target and Cracker Barrel, suggesting that cultural debates could impact clothing sales. Despite these worries, American Eagle has held its ground and even experienced a significant increase in sales.
According to reports, Sweeney’s ads attracted nearly a million new customers from July to September. The Sweeney Cinched Waist Denim Jacket sold out within a day, while the Sydney Jean, featuring a butterfly on its back pocket, was gone in a week.
Susan Cantor, CEO of Sterling Brand, a consumer branding firm, commended Schottenstein’s decision to remain steadfast, attributing American Eagle’s success to this approach. “They got customers by sticking to their guns,” she noted, as mentioned in the Wall Street Journal.
Schottenstein’s remarks follow a doubling of their advertising efforts earlier in August. They emphasized online that the phrase, “‘Sidney Sweeney has great jeans’ has always been about jeans,” adding that “amazing jeans look good on everyone.”
