Despite pushback, American Eagle scores big with Sydney Sweeney campaign

American Eagle Outfitters has weathered harsh criticism for its controversial marketing campaign featuring actor Sydney Sweeney — critics contend that it’s a veiled endorsement of white supremacy and eugenics — but it’s paying off in a big way. Company executives said in an earnings report this week that the campaign, along with another featuring NFL star Travis Kelce, generated more than 700,000 new customers and 40 billion campaign impressions. The campaign, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” launched in July and is “national and pervasive,” says American Eagle Chief Marketing Officer Craig Brahmers. “She is a winner.” The company insists the campaign “is not going anywhere.”