Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans campaign not ‘great’ for store traffic
Actress Sydney Sweeney's controversial “great jeans” ad campaign from American Eagle Outfitters Inc. could be taking a toll on store traffic.
The campaign, which debuted in late July with a tagline of “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” sparked a brief surge in the company’s stock price and garnered lots of media attention, both negative and positive, particularly after President Donald Trump came out in support of the ad. It also gave a big boost to American Eagle’s Instagram followers, with the brand gaining more than 142,700 followers on the platform in the last 30 days, most of which were in the days and weeks after the ad was released, reported Newsweek.
But the attention has not translated into a rise in store traffic. In fact, it’s been the opposite. For the week of Aug. 3 to Aug. 9, in-store visits to American Eagle were down 8.96% on year-over-year basis, according to retail analytics company Pass_by. This follows a 3.90% drop during the previous week (July 27 to Aug. 2), marking a significant reversal from the brand’s months of steady year over year growth earlier this summer.
While wider economic conditions can affect retail performance, this is the largest two-week drop the brand has seen in over a year, and it coincides directly with the cultural conversation surrounding the campaign, noted Pass_by.
“The size and speed of the decline points to more than just seasonal or economic trends,” said James Ewen, VP of marketing at Pass_by. “When a brand sees momentum stall so sharply, it often reflects a reputational or cultural factor cutting through to consumers.”
Interest in the campaign also hasn’t translated into into increased spending, according to data firm Consumer Edge. American Eagle’s U.S. market share versus key competitors has been relatively stable, the firm said, with no significant lift following either the campaign launch or the political news cycle.
“The American Eagle/Sydney Sweeney story is a useful reminder that viral moments don’t necessarily translate into immediate consumer behavior change,” stated Michael Gunther, VP of head insights for the CEIF, in a post on Consumer Data’s web site. “Interest may spike, but unless that attention converts into spending, the business impact remains limited.”
Much of the controversy surrounding the ad had to do its with tagline — "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" and the lines spoken by the actress in one campaign video: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
Critics said that the usage of the word "jeans" as a play on "genes" is racially charged and hints at genetic superiority.
