American Eagle launches new summer campaign with Sydney Sweeney; shares jump
The new “Syd for Short” campaign positions AE jean shorts as the "defining must-have of the summer," the company says / Photo: aeo-inc.com
Shares of American Eagle Outfitters jumped nearly 7.5% on Wednesday after the jeans maker launched a new advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney titled “Syd for Short,” highlighting everyday settings such as time at home, running errands, or relaxing at the beach. At the same time, the stock is down about 27% since the start of the year.
American Eagle said its previous campaign with Sweeney significantly supported sales, delivering the second-highest quarterly revenue in the company’s history and then a record result in the fiscal-2025 third quarter, ended November 1.
Strong results from the earlier campaign came despite the controversy it sparked. Some critics argued that the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” echoed themes of racial superiority and beauty standards because of the similarity between “jeans” and “genes.” At the same time, the campaign drew praise from Donald Trump, who called it “the hottest ad ever.”
