Sorry, Sydney Sweeney – The Beyoncé Levi’s Campaign Has the Best Jeans

The Great Jeans Debate: Sydney Sweeney vs. the Beyoncé Levi’s Campaign

Who knew a pair of denim jeans could be so controversial? In July, Sydney Sweeney’s collaboration with American Eagle sparked outrage with a tagline – “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” – that deliberately played on the homophones jeans/genes.

To really hammer home the point, the extended commercial saw Sweeney reciting:
“Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”

Accusations of neonazism and eugenics propaganda followed. Yikes.

Then, in August, Levi’s unveiled the final chapter in its year-long collaboration with Beyoncé: a 90-second short film titled “The Denim Cowboy.” Unsurprisingly, it has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. This is marketing done right – stylish, nostalgic, and refreshingly inclusive further proving Levi’s as the epitome of luxury denim.

Sydney Sweeney in American Eagle’s “Has Great Jeans” campaign.
Read The Guardian’s coverage of the backlash

Image Levis: Beyoncé stuns in embellished Levi’s denim for the Denim Cowboy ad campaign.

New Nostalgia: How the Beyoncé Levi’s Campaign Reimagines Denim

The American Eagle jeans/genes spot directly references Calvin Klein’s infamously sexualised Brooke Shields advert, which featured a then-14-year-old and was swiftly banned. By contrast, the Levi’s x Beyoncé film is a playful, self-aware nod to Nick Kamen’s iconic 1985 laundrette commercial.

On the surface, both campaigns lean on 80s nostalgia. But American Eagle chose to recreate a controversial ad with little nuance, while Levi’s used nostalgia to critique itself – showing the brand recognises its history, yet isn’t afraid to evolve.

That shift feels deliberate. Levi’s recently sold off Dockers, with CEO Michelle Gass confirming a focus on women’s denim. Beyoncé, styled in camera angles that echo 1985, makes perfect sense: she embodies the progression Levi’s wants to signal.

Explore Levi’s official campaign page here

Image Levis: Beyoncé in embellished denim jacket for Levi’s campaign.

Image Levis: Beyoncé models Levi’s denim outfit with cowboy hat in Denim Cowboy campaign.

The Relatability Factor

There’s another clear difference. Sweeney, like Brooke Shields before her, delivers lines straight to camera – soliciting the male gaze. Beyoncé, however, is presented as a glamorous woman doing her laundry, admired but not defined by the men who watch her.

In one touching scene, two young Black girls giggle as they look up at Beyoncé reading a newspaper. This isn’t just charming – it’s vital representation. A 2021 State of Representation in Marketing study found that 74% of consumers are more likely to buy when they see themselves in advertising.

Where American Eagle risks exclusion, Levi’s embraces inclusivity – and in doing so, speaks powerfully to the female gaze.

Representation matters: Beyoncé’s Levi’s campaign connects across generations.

The Female Gaze vs. The Male Gaze in Jeans Campaigns

Close-ups of Beyoncé’s famous derrière in “The Denim Cowboy” aren’t gratuitous – they serve a purpose. She’s wearing Levi’s 501 Curve jeans, designed “to celebrate curvy bodies.”

By contrast, Sweeney’s American Eagle ad feels engineered for teenage boys – baggy men’s jeans, suggestive framing, and a wink that prioritises fantasy over fashion.

A Human Touch: Timothy Olyphant in the Beyoncé Levi’s Campaign

Levi’s also wins on relatability. Timothy Olyphant’s brief cameo as a pool player could have been forgettable – but his behind-the-scenes anecdote turned it into something warmer.

Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Olyphant revealed he nearly turned it down for a ceramics class until his daughter insisted he do it. That kind of story humanises a campaign filled with sparkle and aspiration, grounding it in authenticity.

Credit: Instagram/Beyonce

Levi’s Legacy: Why the Beyoncé Levi’s Campaign Endures

In the short term, it might appear that American Eagle has won this unlikely battle of the jeans adverts. Shares are up, the internet is talking, and controversy has everyone clicking. But here’s the problem: virality without substance doesn’t build loyalty. Their inability – or unwillingness – to recognise the hurt their campaign has caused will inevitably erode long-term consumer trust.

To be fair, it may not have been American Eagle’s intention to stir such dangerous connotations. But when extremist commentary flourishes beneath your brand’s own campaign videos, alarm bells should be ringing. Instead of sparking admiration, the ad has left many consumers feeling excluded – as though their genes make them unworthy of the jeans. Even from a purely commercial standpoint, that’s self-defeating.

Levi’s, by contrast, plays a longer game. Since its founding in 1853, the brand has continuously reinvented itself for new cultural moments – from workwear to rebellion, festival fields to red carpets. It’s this ability to evolve while staying true to its essence that sets Levi’s apart.

Beyoncé’s collaboration embodies that spirit. It’s fresh, joyful, and unapologetically creative – a campaign that nods to Levi’s heritage while showing how far the brand has come. The Reiimagine series isn’t just an advert; it’s a cultural statement, bridging nostalgia and progress in equal measure.

If Levi’s teaches us anything, it’s that brands don’t need to be flawless – but they do need to be accountable. American Eagle could learn from this. Sometimes the most powerful marketing move isn’t provocation for provocation’s sake, but the humility to admit when you’ve missed the mark.

Read more on Levi’s legacy as a cultural icon

Conclusion: Why Beyoncé Wins

At the end of this unlikely denim duel, one truth is clear. Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign feels careless, narrow, and exclusionary. Beyoncé’s Levi’s collaboration feels elevated, inclusive, and enduring.

Nostalgia can either date a brand or reinvent it. Levi’s shows how to do the latter with grace, wit, and accountability. Beyoncé doesn’t just wear the jeans – she redefines them.

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