How American Eagle's CEO defied critics of Sydney Sweeney ads — and gained 1M new customers: ‘You can't run from fear'

Core Insights - American Eagle Outfitters' provocative ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney successfully attracted nearly one million new customers between July and September, despite facing social media backlash for alleged racist and sexist implications [1][2][15] - CEO Jay Schottenstein defended the campaign, emphasizing the company's commitment to its marketing strategy and rejecting claims of promoting eugenics [3][6][9] - The campaign was further bolstered by a marketing blitz featuring NFL star Travis Kelce, coinciding with his engagement to pop singer Taylor Swift [14] Company Response - The CEO instructed the team to remain calm amid social media pressure and emphasized the importance of not succumbing to fear [3][14] - A small team was assigned to monitor social media reactions, and a polling firm was hired to gauge customer sentiment regarding the ad campaign [12] Financial Impact - Following the campaign, American Eagle's stock surged, and clothing sales increased significantly [2] - The collaboration with Sweeney was viewed positively by branding experts, who noted that the company gained customers by standing firm against backlash [15][16]