Picture this: you’re watching TV when the ads begin to roll. Suddenly, American actress Sydney Sweeney appears, draped in denim. She leans forward, cleavage on display, and whispers to the camera. The lens lingers on her body, heightening the seductive tone. As the commercial ends, text flashes on screen: “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” She punctuates the pun by saying, “See what I did there?”
Another version of the ad features Sweeney lying on the floor, unbuttoning her jeans while “lecturing” the audience on genetics: “Genes are passed down from offspring to offspring.”
The ads drew criticism not just for their heavy sexualization, but also for what some saw as racist undertones. Sweeney, who has faced scrutiny before over her family’s ties to Republican politics—including photos of relatives wearing MAGA hats at a party—emphasizes her blue eyes in one spot, a physical trait more common among people of European descent.
This isn’t Sweeney’s first controversy. In 2023, she collaborated with Dr. Squatch on a soap called “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss.” The product was marketed around the idea that her bathwater had been bottled for fans. On Instagram, she teased, “You kept asking about my bathwater after the @drsquatch ad…so we kept it.” Feminist critics and commentators argued that she was pandering to male audiences. “She’s leaning into the fact that people see her as this modern sex icon,” YouTube creator Brett Cooper said. “Unlike other celebrities who express their sexuality publicly, Sweeney is doing this for men.”
The “Great Jeans” tagline itself wasn’t original. Levi’s ran a campaign in the early 2000s that played on the same pun, but in a different way. Instead of leaning on sexual innuendo, Levi’s spotlighted genetics—illustrating how denim styles, like physical traits, are passed down across generations. By contrast, American Eagle’s updated spin veered away from that scientific, lighthearted premise and instead fueled accusations of sexism and exclusion.
Gap, meanwhile, took a different approach. About a month later, the brand released its own denim ad starring KATSEYE, a global girl group with members from diverse backgrounds. The spot showcased a range of jeans through dance choreography, emphasizing individuality and self-expression without fixating on anatomy. The campaign’s tagline—“This is denim as you define it. Your individuality. Your self-expression.”—stood in sharp contrast to American Eagle’s message.
Gap also drew on the historic role jeans have played in women’s empowerment. Once designed as rugged workwear for men, denim became a symbol of feminist movements in the mid-20th century. By highlighting inclusivity, diversity and empowerment, Gap’s ad resonated widely.
As of September 2025, Gap’s ad has surpassed 15 million views on YouTube. American Eagle’s sits at 8 million. The difference suggests that inclusivity does not just shape culture—it shapes consumer
response.
