A new poll has confirmed what many Americans already suspected: the viral backlash over American Eagle’s recent ad campaign featuring Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney isn’t reflective of how most people actually feel.
According to a YouGov/The Economist poll conducted from August 9–11 among 1,635 U.S. adults, only 12% of respondents found the ad—which featured the line “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans”—offensive. Meanwhile, a larger portion of Americans, 39%, said the ad was “clever,” while 40% said it was “neither.” Just 8% were unsure.
The ad, which highlighted Sweeney’s appearance playing on the homophone of “genes” and “jeans” while promoting American Eagle’s denim line, quickly became the target of social media outrage. Critics accused the company of promoting “fascist propaganda,” with some even going so far as to call the campaign “Nazi propaganda.” Despite the noise online, the numbers tell a different story.
Most Americans Aren’t Offended
The survey results offer a reality check for those who mistake viral backlash for public consensus. Across all age groups, genders, and political affiliations, the majority of respondents either liked the ad or were indifferent.
Younger Americans—often portrayed as the most sensitive demographic—were actually the most receptive. Among respondents aged 18 to 29, 45% said the ad was clever, and only 12% found it offensive. Among those 65 and older, 34% liked the ad, and only 13% were offended.
Political Breakdown
Responses also varied along political lines, with Republicans more likely to find the ad clever than Democrats. A solid 57% of Republican respondents said the ad was clever, compared to just 22% of Democrats. Among Democrats, a slightly higher percentage than average found the ad offensive, but it remained a minority view.
Men were also more likely than women to view the ad positively, while women were more inclined to find it offensive—but even then, the majority were either indifferent or thought the ad was clever.
American Eagle Responds
Amid the social media outrage, American Eagle stood by the campaign and dismissed claims that it had any hidden political or ideological message. In a direct statement posted to Instagram, the company clarified, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.”
They added, “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Bottom Line
The backlash over the Sydney Sweeney ad was loud, but not widespread. While a small, vocal group on social media attempted to paint the campaign as offensive or politically charged, the data shows that the vast majority of Americans either liked the ad or had no strong feelings about it. In the end, American Eagle’s marketing seems to have hit its target audience—and weathered the latest round of online outrage with its message (and denim) intact.
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I am outraged by the outrage of the of those outraged by a very pretty woman in a very clever ad, most of whom make a mud fence look good and couldn’t squirm into a pair of jeans no matter what their genes are.