Genes and jeans. Oh really?

Brands love a pun. I get it. Good puns tell a story or create a feeling. Bad ones just make you go wtf??? American Eagle’s new ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney and the tagline that nobody asked for- something about “jeans” and “genes” because she looks good in denim and she won the biological lottery – belongs in the latter category. And no, you do NOT have to be extremely woke to think so.

Let’s just get straight to the problem: a white girl being hailed for her good “genes” as a humorous pun on the word “jeans”. Because she looks good in denim and she won the biological lottery. Nothing quite like a clever wordplay to move some mid-rise bootcuts, right? Innocently hilarious?

I don’t believe for a second that American Eagle’s marketing team missed the memo, but rather wanted to celebrate a pushback against “wokeness.” Still, in a political climate where people are flinging around the word “genetics” like it’s a personality trait, and politicians are one DNA-test away from declaring eugenics sexy again, it is in very poor taste. In the US, history books about the Civil Right’s movement and slavery is being removed from libraries, and gender diversity is suffering a massive backlash. Sure, the campaign got people’s attention. But, if marketing is meant to move product, is it good marketing to lean into a slogan that flirts with hereditary exceptionalism and white supremacy? I mean: who wants to walk around in a brand associated with fascism? Especially when your star is a photogenic blonde who, fair or not, has already drawn fire for her family’s political leanings. The implication that Sydney’s beauty is “in her genes” isn’t just cringe, it’s the kind of casually coded message that makes every PR rep in a 10-mile radius clutch their branded tote bag in terror. Who exactly is this campaign for? People who think good looks are something to be bred? Because we’ve seen where that line of thinking leads, and it’s not cute.

I love a good wordplay and when it works, it can make a brand iconic. But there are some things to keep in mind for art directors and copy writers who want to play the pun: Never confuse “edgy” with “criminally vague”. Slogans like “Remove ‘No’ from your vocabulary” or “Live Without Limits” sound empowering until someone realizes they could double as Elon Musks tweets. In a litigious society, ambiguity is not your friend. Also, puns about “genes” and “jeans” sound cute until they accidentally brush up against themes like biological superiority, inherited beauty, or anything that sounds like it belongs in a fascist’s manifesto. If your copy could be mistaken for this start over. And last but not least: just because it rhymes doesn’t mean you should write it. If your slogan reads like something a hedge fund manager whispered at a strip club, fire your copywriter as well as your therapist.