The Tale of Two American Dreams in Jeans
Blue Eyes, Blonde Hair, and Bad Optics
Two major American brands, American Eagle Outfitters and Ralph Lauren, recently launched heritage-focused campaigns celebrating different visions of the American dream. One sparked widespread controversy and accusations of racial insensitivity. The other received critical acclaim and strengthened community bonds.
The difference?
It's all in the execution and continuing to unpack who truly gets to define what “American heritage” actually is.
American Eagle’s Controversy
American Eagle's fall campaign starring Hollywood’s rising starlet, Sydney Sweeney, was designed as a clever pun around "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," but the execution revealed a tone-deaf marketing move that many saw as echoing eugenics language. The campaign literally featured Sweeney "painting" over the words "great genes" to become "great jeans," making the double meaning impossible to ignore.
The backlash was swift, and it was brutal.
Critics described the slogan as too close to "master race" propaganda, with many pointing out how getting a blue-eyed, blonde, white woman and focusing your campaign around her having perfect genetics feels… weird. The controversy wasn't just about the tagline. The promotional video sparked additional backlash when Sweeney joked about her "genes" being responsible for her body as the camera panned down to her chest, followed by her saying "Hey! Eyes up here." For a campaign supposedly supporting domestic violence survivors, the execution felt jarringly inappropriate, blurring the line between “male gaze” content and straight up objectification.
And to add to the cringe, the video of them taking snapshots of her hands and profile to determine if she has good genes? It’s all around odd.
Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, American Eagle stock spiked by as much as 16%. The brand achieved viral attention, but at what cost?
Ralph Lauren's Masterclass in Inclusive Heritage
On the other hand, Ralph Lauren launched their Oak Bluffs collection, and the contrast couldn't have been starker.
The Oak Bluffs collection celebrated the historic Black community in Martha’s Vineyard that has been a haven for more than a century. The collection and campaign were conceptualized and designed by Morehouse and Spelman alumni at Ralph Lauren as part of the company's ongoing partnership with the historically Black colleges.
Ralph Lauren worked closely with The Cottagers Inc. (a nonprofit of 100 Black female homeowners), The Martha's Vineyard African American Heritage Trail, The Martha's Vineyard Museum, and The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture to source archival footage and historical knowledge.
Ralph Lauren described the collection as "about more than a charming coastal town; it's a story of the American dream." He even went on to explain how Oak Bluffs' unique history, traditions and sense of community deeply inspire him as a place where one can be free, uncontrived, joyful and truly at home.
They put in the work. They pulled in the right collection of minds. But most importantly, they understood not only their audience’s taste for this story but also honored the storytellers in the process.
Why One Worked While The Other Crashed
Simply put: The Ralph Lauren campaign is everything American Eagle's wasn't. It’s thoughtful, community-driven, and historically informed.
Both campaigns were about American heritage, but they took fundamentally different approaches.
Authenticity vs. Appropriation
Ralph Lauren didn't just use Black culture as aesthetic inspiration. They partnered with Black institutions, hired Black creatives, and supported Black-owned businesses. American Eagle, meanwhile, used a white actress to embody their vision of American "genes" without any apparent consideration of the historical implications.
Community Partnership vs. Celebrity Exploitation
Ralph Lauren's campaign involved extensive collaboration with community organizations, historians, and educational institutions. American Eagle's approach was simpler, simply hire the biggest celebrity they could afford and hope her star power would drive sales.
Historical Consciousness vs. Historical Blindness
Ralph Lauren's campaign demonstrated deep awareness of Oak Bluffs' role as a refuge from segregation and discrimination. American Eagle's campaign seemed oblivious to the loaded history of phrases like "great genes" in American culture.
The reception tells the story. Ralph Lauren's campaign was celebrated across fashion and cultural media as a thoughtful exploration of American identity. American Eagle, meanwhile, faced accusations of promoting Nazi-adjacent ideology and trivializing domestic violence.
The Easy Fix American Eagle Missed
Let’s be clear.
American Eagle's misstep was entirely avoidable.
The brand had a golden opportunity to create something meaningful instead of controversial, and it required just one simple change in approach.
Instead of centering their entire campaign around Sydney Sweeney's genetics, imagine if American Eagle had launched "Good Genes/Jeans" as a celebration of diverse American heritage. Picture this alternative:
A Multi-Creator Campaign
Rather than betting everything on one white, blonde actress, AEO could have featured a diverse group of celebrities and creators, each representing different aspects of the American experience.
"Good Genes" Redefined
Each creator could have celebrated what makes their "genes" special beyond physical attributes. Think, cultural heritage, family traditions, creative DNA, or community values. The focus shifts from genetics to heritage, from biology to biography and merit (since we’re doing the whole merit thing these days.)
Inclusive Storytelling
Instead of a single promotional video focusing on Sweeney's body, the campaign could have featured mini-documentaries about each creator's family history, the communities that shaped them, and how they express their heritage through style. Real stories, real connection, real meaning.
This approach would have immediately neutralized the "superior race" optics while creating multiple entry points for different audiences to connect with the brand. Instead of one demographic feeling seen and others feeling excluded, everyone finds someone to relate to.
The cost would have been roughly equivalent. AEO could have invested in multiple smaller partnerships instead of one massive celebrity deal. But the cultural impact would have been exponentially more positive.
The missed opportunity stings because it was so obvious. American Eagle's VP of Marketing, Ashley Schapiro, applauded Sweeney and team for “how far they wanted to push" the campaign. And in reality, all they did was push a lot of buttons as seen in her comment section.
The Bottom Line
In 2025, marketing requires more than good intentions and celebrity star power. It demands cultural competence, community partnership, and historical awareness. Ralph Lauren understood this. American Eagle didn't.
The contrast between these campaigns reveals authenticity in modern marketing can't be bought. Instead, it must be built through genuine relationships and thoughtful storytelling and intentional investment. American Eagle chose the shortcut of celebrity endorsement and sexual appeal. Ralph Lauren chose the long game of community engagement and cultural respect.
One campaign caused its stock to spike through meme behavior while facing accusations of promoting racial superiority. The other created lasting cultural value while strengthening relationships with historically Black communities.
Which approach serves the brand? And society in the long run? The answer seems obvious.
The only question is why more brands haven't learned this lesson yet.
American Eagle's "great jeans" may have generated short-term buzz, but Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs collection generated something far more valuable. They generated respect and a genuine contribution to the ongoing conversation about what American heritage actually means.
In the end, both campaigns were about genes but only one understood that the best genetic inheritance isn't about how you look, but about the communities you build and the stories you choose to tell.