Controversy in Advertising: The Sydney Sweeney Campaign

On this week’s Glossy Podcast, international fashion reporter Zofia Zwieglinska joined editor-in-chief Jill Manoff to discuss three major stories shaping fashion this week. 

First, we discuss American Eagle Outfitters’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign and the criticism around its wordplay on “genes,” drawing accusations of eugenics undertones while simultaneously driving the company’s stock up by as much as 10%. At the same time, Vogue debuted an AI-generated Guess ad, created entirely by an external agency. And in the world of direct-to-consumer brands, Quince raised $200 million, doubling its valuation to $4.5 billion, prompting debate over whether a “dupe-first” model can evolve into long-term brand equity.

Later in the episode (26:00), Manoff spoke with senior reporter Sara Spruch Feiner about Ty Haney’s surprise return to Outdoor Voices, the DTC athleisure brand she founded in 2013.