American Eagle's recent advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has sparked considerable controversy and polarized reactions across the political spectrum. The campaign, which included a two-word pun "great jeans," became a focal point for GOP culture-war debates, with critics on the right framing it as evidence of Democratic out-of-touch attitudes, although no elected Democrats have publicly addressed the ad. Despite the backlash, some commentators have defended the campaign, including Dr. Phil McGraw, and an opinion piece dismissed claims that the ad contained any extremist symbolism. The controversy has had mixed effects on American Eagle's business metrics: while the campaign significantly increased website traffic, physical store foot traffic declined by nearly 9% year-over-year in the two weeks following the ad's release, marking the steepest drop since before the campaign began. Experts also suggest that the attention from the ad backlash may benefit Sydney Sweeney's upcoming Dolly Parton-inspired Western project.