I remember scrolling through TikTok a little over a month ago and seeing a ton of videos about the new American Eagle ad, featuring Sydney Sweeney. I looked at the comments, hit the blue search hyperlink to “sydney sweeney american eagle,” only to find hundreds of videos reposting the same one-minute video, ending with a male voice narrating the text on screen, “SYDNEY SWEENEY HAS GREAT JEANS.” All I saw was backlash surrounding the ad, and I wasn’t alone in seeing these negative responses. According to NPR, the advertisement has since received backlash for alluding to eugenics. The ad’s phrasing of “great jeans” phonetically sounds like “great genes.” Eugenics, which has been historically used to uphold white supremacy and defend scientific racism, has no place in any advertisement. Since then, American Eagle has removed the one-minute version. The 30-second advertisement can still be found on the company’s YouTube channel. 

As a person of color myself, seeing a popular brand such as American Eagle using such intense messages in its advertisement honestly had me questioning if it was ragebait. The ad is clearly lacking in its main purpose, which is to promote the product.  

But, just when the internet got quiet, Gap dropped its collaboration video with KATSEYE on Aug. 19. The ad is the polar opposite of the America Eagle ad. KATSEYE, according to the Hollywood Reporter, is a global girl group with six members coming from backgrounds all over the world. With a Netflix documentary about their debut and performing at Lollapalooza this past summer, KATSEYE’s presence in the industry is prominent. Following the drop of the video, according to AP News, the video hit 400 million views in three days across platforms. The video is addictive; KATSEYE, alongside dancers, all dressed in Gap denim, performing original choreography to the iconic song “Milkshake” by Kelis. Not only is this advertisement entertaining to watch, but it also highlights the versatility of the jeans in the various ways the members and dancers are styled. The Gap website has gone to feature a page with each of the members’ outfit details. One scene depicts Daniela, one of the members, hitting a standing split pose, showing how flexible the jeans are as well. All of the dance moves go to show that the jeans are comfortable and easy to move in.

The ad has worked too, since its release, the advertisement has started a new dance trend on TikTok. Users have used both the original “Milkshake” audio as well as Doja Cat’s song “MOOO!” which samples “Milkshake.” Several users have gone to buy the outfits from GAP to create dance covers and have also filmed in front of the actual store. GAP’s official TikTok has significantly benefited from the campaign, with the top seven most-watched videos all being related to KATSEYE’s campaign.

In the midst of this, whether it was intentional or not, the advertisement has inevitably been compared to Sweeney’s ad. Not only is KATSEYE from a variety of cultural backgrounds, but there is a clear gap in the quality of the two videos. Comments from users such as “Now this is the JEANS ad y’all have been wanting” refer to American Eagle’s previous ad. 

Overall, Gap’s ad not only highlighted their own brand but also subsequently showed the greater flaw in American Eagle’s advertisement. KATSEYE’s impact is one that will last in the industry, and their campaign was more than just a dance video. Those in the marketing industry should take note of the impact that ads can have on the general public and use this as an opportunity for change. 

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Abigail Lee at [email protected].