Where Sydney Sweeney's Controversial Great Jeans Campaign Started

Before “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” became one of the most talked-about advertising campaigns of 2025, American Eagle kicked things off with this staged audition spot featuring Sydney Sweeney.

The intentionally awkward fake casting session was part of a larger series of American Eagle videos built around Sweeney and the “Great Jeans” concept. The campaign would soon explode into a much bigger cultural debate over its “jeans” and “genes” wordplay, making this playful spot an interesting look back at where all the attention began.

Watch the Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans Audition from American Eagle.