The Pittsburgh-based retailer is receiving criticism over a recent ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney promoting its jeans.
A recent advertisement campaign for popular clothing retailer American Eagle, featuring actress Sydney Sweeney, has sparked backlash.
The Pittsburgh-based brand created the campaign, titled “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”, to promote their famous jeans.
In the video ad, Sweeney says, “my jeans are blue” after explaining that “genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color.”
The video received online criticism for being racist and promoting eugenics, while others praised it as an end to wokeness. Some users claim the ad campaign is rooted in white supremacy, while others call that an overreaction.
Marketing experts are keeping an eye on American Eagle sales to see whether the publicity brings in more business or results in a decrease in sales.
“Negative publicity still drives sales,” said Melanie Querry, founder of a Pittsburgh marketing and advertising agency, in a recent interview. “I think the pros actually outweigh the cons.”
American Eagle’s stock price soared after President Trump expressed his support for Sweeney’s ad campaign.
“It might bring in more people who follow Trump to go and buy those jeans, but it may also have turned off people who are more on the left side. So, it can go both ways,” said Ryan Garvey, professor of finance at Duquesne University, in a recent interview.
Fall is a crucial time for the retailer, with back-to-school season driving sales.
“We want to be clean and mean for back-to-school. It’s our Super Bowl season,” said Jen Foyle, president and executive creative director, in May.
Garvey is expecting the company’s stock to trend downward again as the ad campaign moves to the rearview. “[Trump] has the ability to move markets when he talks. But it’s yet to be determined how things are going to play out,” he said.
While the publicity surrounding the controversial ad campaign momentarily drove up stock prices, damage is still possible in the long-term as things settle.
“Brand image and reputation far outweighs a short-term sales lift,” said Jenna Lo Castro, an associate professor at Point Park University, in a recent interview.
The attention has brought at least short-term benefits to the Pittsburgh-based retailer in the form of providing extra exposure through viral clips online.
American Eagle defended Sweeney’s ad campaign online in a post that said, “Her jeans. Her story. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
