Lessons in rage-bait versus virality as marketing strategies.
‘Better in Denim’, the jeans ad from Gap featuring Katseye…
… within days of its release, inspired viral response videos, and racked up nearly twice as many views on YouTube alone…
…. as the American Eagle jeans ads featuring Sydney Sweeney…
… which garnered infamy for its invocations of eugenics and white supremacy – arguably, by design:
she explained the problem with the sydney sweeney ad so well like it's not that hard to understand😭 pic.twitter.com/aibzrhlI5H
— 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆🫧💚 (@beyoncegarden) July 31, 2025
Reyah the Last Dragon best summarizes the ingredients for the success of Gap’s ad:
Further Viewing
“You can’t be the CEO of the male gaze without becoming its product… you cannot rebrand your way out of a cultural critique that you refuse to acknowledge.” Afrodizjha looks at the American Eagle ad campaign controversy in the wider context of Sydney Sweeney’s career, and compares and contrasts with the ways other actresses before her have navigated their own sex symbol status. She argues that Sydney Sweeney has trapped herself in the “triple-threat hybird of old Hollywood” tropes she has sought to harness: blonde bombshell, femme fatale, and cool girl. “The question isn’t whether she’s empowered, it’s what she’s willing to sacrifice to stay chosen”: