Sydney Sweeney's recent ad saga: What It means for celebrity endorsements

Sydney Sweeney's career is revving up with multiple projects lined up, including films like Americana and Eden, as well as the upcoming season of Euphoria. 

However, her recent American Eagle campaign has sparked controversy and debate. The campaign, which features Sweeney saying "Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue," has been accused of promoting eugenics and white supremacy due to Sweeney's blonde hair and blue eyes.

The backlash began on TikTok, where users claimed the ad was insensitive and promoted negative ideologies. Despite American Eagle's defense that the campaign was "always about the jeans," the controversy spread far and wide, with even President Donald Trump weighing in. 

Trump praised Sweeney, saying she had the "HOTTEST" ad out there and that being a Republican was what you wanted to be. Sweeney has remained silent on the issue, while American Eagle has stuck to their guns, defending the campaign.

Experts are divided on whether the controversy will affect Sweeney's future partnerships and acting gigs. Nathan Miller, CEO of Miller Ink, believes Sweeney doesn't need to engage with the criticism, saying "she doesn't have to do anything" since everyone is already talking about her. 

Lucy Robertson, head of brand marketing at Buttermilk, thinks the campaign was a "misstep" for Sweeney, using her as a "convenient hook" without leveraging her creative input.

Sweeney's upcoming projects include Christy, a biopic about a queer boxer, and The Housemaid, a psychological thriller opposite Amanda Seyfried. With her busy schedule ahead, Sweeney will likely need to address the controversy at some point. 

According to Matt Herbert, Chief Commercial Officer of Tracksuit, the controversy may not define American Eagle, but it will be interesting to see how they react moving forward.