"To recap, American Eagle Outfitters faced weeks of scrutiny for its ad featuring the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor. From mainstream media to LinkedIn feeds, everyone chimed in (including President Trump) on whether the denim brand deliberately issued a racist 'dog whistle' for a campaign that ran with the pun: "Sydney Sweeney has great genes." The ad, which landed during the peak back-to-school marketing rush, was also criticized for seemingly taking inspiration from a 1980 Calvin Klein ad starring a 15-year-old Brooke Shields."
"The campaign launched on July 23, at the tail end of American Eagle's fiscal second quarter, so it does not provide a full picture of the long-term impact. Overall, the company's earnings beat expectations, as revenue came in at $1.28bn (down 1% on last year) versus $1.24bn expected. Total comparable sales decreased 1%. Its share price soared as much as 20% in after-hours trading."
American Eagle ran a campaign starring Sydney Sweeney that used the pun "Sydney Sweeney has great genes," prompting accusations of a racist 'dog whistle' and comparisons to a 1980 Calvin Klein ad featuring a 15-year-old Brooke Shields. The controversy drew widespread attention across mainstream media, social platforms, and public figures. The company did not explicitly respond to accusations of racism or sexualization, instead noting the year-long effort "created amazing energy and buzz" and that featured products sold out. The campaign launched July 23 at the end of the fiscal quarter; revenue topped expectations at $1.28bn while comparable sales fell 1%, and shares jumped as much as 20% after hours. Survey data indicated most surveyed Americans were not discouraged from buying.
Read at The Drum
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