American Eagle x Sydney Sweeney
On July 23, American Eagle released an advertisement that left viewers utterly speechless.
Actress Sydney Sweeney, the star of this ad, recently gained worldwide fame for her roles in Anyone But You and Euphoria. In the past year, she became a hot topic for a very recent collaboration with Dr. Soap, which sold bar soaps with her own bathwater (a unique marketing facade). Now with even more attention, the American Eagle campaign’s tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” gave the impression that she had great genes instead. The video left viewers very uncomfortable, as they thought that the message was extremely insensitive and propagandized eugenics.
The video for the campaign had an awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere, adding another, unintentional layer to the ad.
Sweeney famously stated, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color,” leaving viewers and critics to construe this message as an agreement of eugenics and clear racist values that discredit the history of human actions that lead to dark endings. Although the backlash was intense, American Eagle refused to take the video down and actually reiterated their support for the campaign.
Gap x Katseye
The Gap x KATSEYE collaboration came out a few weeks after the American Eagle x Sydney Sweeney campaign, and after its release, viewers couldn’t help but notice a contrast between the ads. Released on August 19, Gap’s campaign promoted the idea of individuality and self-expression through their new denim collection with the slogan “Better in Denim.” It featured Kelis’ 2003 hit song “Milkshake,” which was performed by global pop girl group KATSEYE (Cats-Eye).
KATSEYE debuted on June 28, 2024, after garnering attention from their pre-debut competition show, where its members were selected to be in the group following weeks of intense training and contests.
The viral Gap advertisement featured background dancers who wore different colored pants, which viewers speculated was an homage to diversity and variety. Mark Breitbard, President and CEO of Gap, stated, “Partnering with KATSEYE was a natural fit; we share a bold, expressive, and inclusive point of view.” Gap’s partnership with KATSEYE demonstrates its clear values and ideas that it promotes alongside its clothing line.
