Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad controversy: 5 things to know

 1. Recent ad campaigns have had a much different tenor

The Sweeney ad campaign and the reaction to it come as other major corporations have faced backlash for partnering with trans-identified influencers and promoting an agenda derided by critics as “woke.”

In 2023, the beer brand Bud Light named Dylan Mulvaney, a trans-identified male who has documented his gender transition on a TikTok series called “Days of Girlhood,” as a brand ambassador to “authentically connect with audiences.”  

Bud Light’s partnership with Mulvaney, combined with the beer brand sending Mulvaney a customized beer can with his face on it to commemorate his 365th day of “girlhood,” led to intense backlash and a 21% drop in sales in the immediate aftermath of the campaign.

Also in 2023, the makeup brand Maybelline released an ad featuring beauty influencer Ryan Vita, a bearded man who uses the pronouns “she/he/they,” applying lipstick. Like Bud Light, Maybelline faced criticism from prominent conservatives over its embrace of LGBT ideology. 

In 2022, a trans-identified influencer named Luke Pearson published an Instagram post celebrating the first LGBT pride month with “facial hair,” referring to a so-called gender transition from female to male. The purpose of the post was to encourage people to buy Harry’s Razors. 

The picture and video accompanying the post showed a shirtless Pearson with double mastectomy scars left behind from the removal of her breasts. The caption revealed a hashtag identifying Pearson as a #HarrysPartner, prompting the razor company to experience backlash along the lines of what Bud Light and Maybelline faced.