Sydney Sweeney Ad Means America Is Hot Again | The American Spectator

The American Eagle denim jeans campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney has generated substantial buzz online, with reactions ranging from excitement and appreciation for the beauty of the celebrity with her “great jeans,”  to bizarre critical analysis over the playful conflation between genes — the units of heredity — and jeans — the denim clothing.  Some have claimed that the ads are racist — a throwback to the Nazi Eugenics era with its focus on the genes that create fair skin, blonde hair,  and blue eyes.

Others have complained that the ads are immodest (and they are), and still others suggest that in our current era of “body inclusivity,” ads like this make many young women feel badly about themselves to see a beautiful (thin) young model with large breasts wearing tight fitting jeans that they might not be able to wear.

All of these responses (except of course the ridiculous Nazi reference) are understandable.  For the past decade, fashion and popular culture focused on a very new and different view of body positivity and body inclusivity.  Obesity began to be celebrated. In May, 2022, Sports Illustrated revealed a cover with plus-size model  Yumi Nu wearing a revealing swimsuit.  Several other magazine covers followed suit with their own plus-size models.  Last year, plus size models represented 26.4 percent of all models at major Fashion Week events globally.  This is an increase from 22.8 percent the previous year.  According to data released by the fashion industry:

Brands using plus size models in ad campaigns rose 41% in 2025.  Major fashion retailers like ASO, Savage X Fenty, and Good American led this push, using diverse body types in both digital and print campaigns.  Plus-size fashion markets grew to $352 billion globally in 2025.  Models like Paloma Elsesser and Precious Lee have landed luxury deals, influencer partnerships and beauty collaborations.

Despite all of this, the “Sydney Sweeney Has Good Jeans” ad campaign has seen American Eagle’s stock surge more than 10 percent on July 21st after the company rolled out the ad.  According to media reports, analysts and traders noted that the Sweeney campaign was especially effective because it helped reframe sentiment around the company.  It is clear that consumers may like to see images of beauty and thinness and unapologetic confidence: “The retailer’s strong brand recognition and more than 13 percent short interest, made it a natural magnet for meme stock traders seeking short squeezes and speculative gains. Prior to the Sweeney jeans campaign, American Eagle shares had fallen 35 percent in 2025.  The ad campaign has substantially revived the company

Beyond the stock surge, Sweeney’s looks have influenced fashion trends with several American Eagle items selling out after appearing in the ads. There has been an uptick in American Eagle’s social media engagement and sales figures correlating with the launch of the ad campaign. Targeted to Gen Z the ads are a clear rejection of wokeism and DEI — both of which are often mocked online by Gen Z consumers.

In their attempt to move beyond the forced DEI standards of the past, American Eagle is joining a growing list of retailers and companies who are once again embracing traditional views of beauty and body positivity.  This does not mean that ads are rejecting racial or ethnic diversity.  For the past few years, companies and brands like JPMorgan Chase, Humira, State Farm, Smile Direct Club, Coors Light, Macy’s, Tide, and Cadillac have featured multiracial  couples and families in their advertising.  This too is a correction by embracing the diversity of society.

Beyond American Eagle, we are seeing more of an attempt to rediscover the successful ads of the past. For example, the Carl’s Jr. 2025 Superbowl ad featuring a beautiful young woman wearing a bikini at a car wash is simply attempting to replicate the successes of the past when a bikini-clad Paris Hilton ate a hamburger while seductively washing a car.

Rejecting the seriousness — and the ugliness — of the past few years when models with facial tattoos, multiple piercings, and shaved heads were introduced is a positive development. Many of these ads were failures.  For example, Jaguar fired its long-time ad agency after the failed  Jaguar ads which featured androgynous  models in bizarre and brightly colored outfits but did not feature a single car.  The New York Post described the Jaguar ad as the “latest example of idiotic and woke corporate virtue signaling.”

The feminists will always be angry at ads that they view as “commodifying women.” But now many are angry at the new Dunkin ad which taps an attractive young man to satirically sell its newest offerings by claiming that he became “king of the summer” because of his golden suntan — which he got from his genetics.

The resurgence of playful advertisements signals a cultural shift worth celebrating, as the nation gradually rediscovers the joy of lightheartedness. This renewed embrace of spirited marketing marks a positive step forward, suggesting that society is emerging from the long period of heaviness, restraint, and fearfulness of the Biden-Obama years.  We can finally lighten up.

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