Sly or not? Sydney Sweeney's new American Eagle campaign sparks mixed reactions
Is she or isn't she taking a dig?
Sydney Sweeney is back with American Eagle, and the conversation around it feels... familiar.
The 28-year-old has returned to the partnership with a new campaign promoting the brand’s summer denim shorts collection.
The rollout includes a video and a series of social posts, but it is the tone and timing that are raising eyebrows again.
In the clip, Sweeney asks, “What brand am I wearing?” before answering, “Yeah. That one.”
A familiar tone
It is a vague, slightly self-referential line that plays into her name and echoes the outrage that sparked debate in her last campaign.
The collaboration Instagram post is titled “Syd for short”, a nod to her name, with proceeds from the jeans and shorts going to mental health nonprofit Crisis Text Line.
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Timing adds fuel
The campaign drops just days after Euphoria season three, where Sweeney’s character Cassie is once again in the spotlight, including scenes featuring an OnlyFans storyline and a controversial dog outfit.
Sly or not, the new ad stops short of the internet outrage that surrounded her last one, but it is clearly moving in the same territory.
Mixed early reactions
The early reactions indicate some praised it, while others didn’t. One Instagram commentator wrote, “Glad to see AE didn’t bend the knee to the haters.” Another added, “She will break the internet one day!”
On the negative side, some wrote, “They make shorts for dogs now?” mocking the Euphoria backlash.
The 2025 backlash
Her previous American Eagle campaign, released in July 2025, sparked major backlash.
Previous campaign hero image.
In one ad, Sweeney says, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring… My jeans are blue.”
A voiceover follows, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.”
Some critics argued the ad hinted at genetic superiority, while others dismissed it as a simple pun rather than a coded message.
The campaign even drew praise from Donald Trump, who called it the “hottest ad out there” in a Truth Social post.
Sweeney later addressed the backlash in an interview, saying she was “honestly surprised by the reaction” and rejected the interpretations tied to the campaign.
“I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to it… I’m against hate and divisiveness,” she said.
Main image: Sydney Sweeney
