American Eagle's recent advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney has led to a nearly 9% year-over-year decline in foot traffic at its stores during the week of August 3, 2025, according to retail data firm Pass_by and reported by Forbes. This drop marks the steepest decline since before the campaign's launch on July 23. Despite the controversy surrounding the "great jeans" ad, a YouGov poll found that only 12% of Americans considered the advertisement offensive, with the majority either finding it clever or having no strong opinion. The campaign has notably divided younger audiences, with a Generation Lab poll indicating that 64% of Democrats and 39% of Republicans felt the ad was out of touch. While the ad has boosted American Eagle's website traffic and contributed to a 16% increase in the company's stock price, it has not translated into increased in-store demand. Prior to the campaign, American Eagle experienced positive foot traffic growth, with increases of 4.9% and 5.9% in early July 2025. The mixed reception highlights a disconnect between online engagement and physical store visits following the campaign's rollout.