Genes determine the traits that a person acquires from their parents. Jeans are a universal type of pants made from denim. Up until this summer, the two had little correlation other than being homophones. Now they are known to have started the biggest online controversy of the summer.
In late July, American Eagle announced their partnership with actress Sydney Sweeney, claiming that those who buy American Eagle Jeans will have great jeans. In this ad, Sweeney, a white actress with blond hair and blue eyes, flaunts her jeans saying they are blue and from American Eagle. The ad was paired with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans/genes” and was set up so that either word could fit. This rightfully rubbed a lot of people the wrong way, since it insinuated that to have good genes people should look like her. It garnered attention online with discourse that the ad was clearly not just about the jeans they sell, but purposefully choosing Sweeney to wear them and make the play on words.
Since then, the ad has received praise from President Trump, who says as long as Sweeney is a registered republican, “I think the ad is fantastic.” This furthers the impression that the ad and company support republican ideas and promote the supremacy of an Aryan race. Other than dissecting her political affiliation and what some are calling the “downfall” of Sweeney, who has shifted from being a typical actress to one known for accepting brand deals centered around the male gaze, this ad outwardly supports ideas synonymous with a 1940s Germany.
Then, in what seemed like a direct clap back, Katseye released their jeans ad with Gap. The international girl group was formed in the summer of 2024 and since then their popularity has only bloomed. The group is not only beloved for the member’s personalities, but that they are a representation of six ethnically diverse performers from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. Katseye breaks from the norm of girl groups of the 2000s and 2010s who were hand-picked to fit the concept and “look” of a cohesive group. This usually consisted of four to six members, all of which fit a mold. This meant all members were from one particular race, with similar body types and the only differences were the meticulously curated personalities of each girl.
Gap used their differences to make the most of the online slander against American Eagle. The ad features all six members dancing to Kellis’ hit song, “Milkshake,” bringing an altogether more upbeat mood and showcasing the message that, even with their different and individual styles, Katseye can still be a cohesive group. They represent everything American Eagle did wrong with their ad, gaining over 8 billion impressions across social media platforms and the Gap website.
Although the ad was carefully choreographed, filmed and styled months before, the timing of releasing it sends an important message. Katseye is a group to look up to and represents a direct opposition to the reason why ads like Sweeney’s are even acceptable to put out today. It struck back against the message of pushing one standard of what girls should look like and whose genes are best.
As the country and the world push others to pick one of two extremes, whether it be raging liberalism or borderline Nazism, it is refreshing to see Katseye’s unprecedented rise. With only two EPs released, the group is still relatively new, however, with several collaborations with brands like Monster High, Glossier, Lush and now Gap, they are proving that the model for girls doesn’t just look like one person. The success of their ad also reveals how important diversity is when it is constantly being threatened. Katseye is redefining beauty standards and showing their audiences that anyone can have good jeans, and that theirs might be better.