In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Schottenstein explained how the company weathered the backlash that erupted following the July launch of American Eagle’s fall denim campaign starring Sweeney, a Hollywood actress known for her leading roles in “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus.” What seemed like a playful wordplay—”Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”—quickly turned contentious, with critics accusing the ad of covertly promoting eugenics and racist beauty standards due to references to heredity and Sweeney’s blonde-haired, blue-eyed appearance. Rather than responding with public statements or pulling the ads, Schottenstein instructed executives and employees to “remain calm and not...
Monitoring Antisemitism Intel
