While online backlash to American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney ad has cooled, new data from Pass_by suggests the impact may still be unfolding in malls during back-to-school season.
New foot traffic data from the AI-powered geospatial insights company shows that the downturn in American Eagle store visits has accelerated for the second straight week following the ad controversy.
For the week of Aug. 3-9, in-store visits were down 8.96 percent year-over-year. This follows a 3.90-percent drop in the week of July 27-Aug. 2.
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Pass_by says this marks a “significant reversal” from the brand’s months of steady year-over-year growth earlier this summer.
On July 23, American Eagle debuted “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” a Fall 2025 campaign featuring the “Euphoria” actress drawing a comparison between good genes to good jeans. However, the campaign sparked backlash online, with many consumers interpreting the messaging as having undertones of eugenics—a controversy that quickly gained traction across social media.
American Eagle has stood by the campaign. On Aug. 1, the brand loosely acknowledged the controversy with an Instagram post that stated the campaign “is and always was about the jeans.” The post drew 24.5K comments, highlighting a deeply divided response. Some accused the brand of gaslighting consumers, while others hailed it as a win against so-called ‘woke’ culture.
Since then, the campaign has been further politicized with the White House weighing in on the ads. White House communications manager Steven Cheung reposted an article about the campaign on X and wrote: “Cancel culture run amok. This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024. They’re tired of this bullshit.”
On Truth Social, President Donald Trump wrote: “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the hottest ad out there.”
While Pass_by said wider economic conditions can affect retail performance, the firm noted it 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.
“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.”
