American Eagle CEO breaks silence on Sydney Sweeney ‘Great Genes’ ad controversy: ‘You can’t run from fear’
American Eagle CEO bewildered over Sydney Sweeney ad uproar
- American Eagle's CEO, Jay Schottenstein, has addressed the backlash surrounding the brand's controversial ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney.
- The campaign faced criticism, particularly from the left, due to wordplay on 'jeans' and 'genes,' with some comparing it to the Nazi-backed language of eugenics.
- Despite the controversy, Schottenstein defended the campaign, stating the company would not “run from fear” and did not pull any of the contentious advertisements.
- He said as an Orthodox Jew, he is “very conscious” of the language of eugenics; he said he and his team would never have run the campaign if they thought it was offensive.
- The CEO noted that the controversial campaign led to a significant increase in sales, attracting nearly a million new customers and causing two products named for Sweeney to sell out rapidly.