Actress Sydney Sweeney's latest advertising campaign has caused major controversy on social media, with many users accusing the actress and the company American Eagle of spreading "Nazi propaganda" and messages with racist undertones.
The campaign is titled “Sydney Sweeney has great genes/jeans,” a play on the words “genes” and “jeans,” which are pronounced the same way in English. The approach, while intended to be creative, has sparked strong reactions, as many have interpreted it as a glorification of genetic traits that have historically been associated with white supremacist ideologies.
In one of the ads, Sweeney, 27, is seen dressed entirely in jeans as she walks toward a giant billboard with her image. There, she covers up the word “gene” with white paint and replaces it with “jeans.” In another video, she is seen zipping up her jeans while a voiceover explains how genes influence traits like eye color, hair color, and personality.
The moment that caused the most reaction is when Sweeney, with her blue eyes, looks into the camera and says: “My genes/jeans are blue.” Since both words are pronounced the same in English, it is not clear which one she is referring to. But many users on TikTok and other platforms saw this as a reinforcement of the idea of “superior traits,” specifically blue eye color and blond hair, a description that has often been used in racist rhetoric and Nazi propaganda.
In a viral video with millions of views, one commenter wrote:
“When these traits are consistently presented as the standard of genetic superiority, we know exactly where this story is going.”
Reactions were also not lacking on American Eagle's official pages, where users expressed disappointment:
"Who approved this campaign?"
“This is what happens when there is a lack of diversity at the creative table.”
"They were so focused on the 'clever' wordplay that they didn't see the message they were conveying."
The campaign remains active for now, while the company has not yet issued an official response to the criticism.
