The Sydney Sweeney effect is proof that sex still sells After the soap comes the campaign for American Eagle

Sydney Sweeney is proving to be, perhaps unexpectedly, an extremely polarizing figure. Celebrated as a symbol of traditional feminine beauty by the U.S. trad, incel, and right-wing communities, she has more or less dodged the “accusations” of sympathizing with the MAGA party, that of Donald Trump. She returned to the spotlight in May with the launch of a soap bar by Dr. Squatch, inspired by her bathwater and aimed at her male fanbase. Along the same lines came the American Eagle campaign, which in just a couple of days garnered massive attention, as well as accusations of misogyny, eugenics, and even Nazi ideology dogwhistles. The ironic (or telling, or troubling) part? It's working extremely well.

Sydney Sweeney’s economic impact on American Eagle

American Eagle - a historic American clothing brand that, according to Business of Fashion, has been struggling for several seasons - saw its stock suddenly jump by 12 percent, reaching a +18% increase the following week. Credit goes to the brand-new advertising campaign starring Sydney Sweeney, which, for better or worse, caught everyone’s attention - particularly retail investors on Reddit - fueling the phenomenon of so-called "meme stocks," shares driven more by virality than by corporate strategy. According to the company’s leadership, the campaign aims to reconnect American Eagle with Gen Z audiences through references to American iconography and a bolder tone, breaking with the cautious marketing approach of recent years. Whether this goal has actually been achieved is debatable, but the Sweeney effect, which has made her one of the most sought-after brand ambassadors right now, is undeniable. In fact, her May campaign with Dr. Squatch is said to have helped lead to the brand’s acquisition by Unilever for $1.5 billion. That's two for two.

The controversy

What’s the issue? According to social media users, there are many. One particular element under scrutiny in this wide-reaching and costly campaign (which includes massive billboards in Times Square and projections on Las Vegas’ Sphere) is a series of videos where the Euphoria actress is shown dressing in full denim with her curves on full display, making suggestive eye contact with the camera and saying lines like: "Hey, my eyes are up here" et similia. Then comes the slogan: "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans", a pun on the word "genes." Some interpreted this as a hidden message: Sydney Sweeney is beautiful, blonde, slim and curvy at the same time, has blue eyes, and is white. These are the lucky, desirable, "right" genes: white genes. Even those who didn’t go that far still criticized the campaign’s overtly suggestive tone, which centers on the objectification of the female body and seems to be selling not the jeans, but rather the woman wearing them.

Sex still sells, like it or not

Beyond all this, the campaign confirms something we already knew, or maybe hoped we had forgotten. Sex still sells, despite everything. In fact, it sells more than ever in a political and cultural moment when women are being pushed “back into the kitchen,” even if only metaphorically. Back in the kitchen in fashion, where long skirts and cottagecore dresses dominate. Back in the kitchen on social media, where globe-trotting luxury content creators are being replaced by trad wives. Equally wealthy, but staying home to raise their children and bake bread from scratch. More than sex itself - which never stopped selling - what’s sparking backlash is the sense of going back to a traditional, conservative form of (female) sexualized advertising. One designed to stir controversy precisely because of its throwback nature, turning its polarizing power into economic value measured in meme stocks. And if a brand’s marketing strategy becomes about division, we have a problem that goes far beyond sex.