On Wednesday, international recording artist Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, aged 43, appeared in a newly released promotional campaign for Levi’s. The campaign was unveiled shortly after public controversy emerged surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney’s recent collaboration with American Eagle.
In the advertisement, Ms. Knowles-Carter is depicted wearing a low-cut denim jacket adorned with gemstones and lace detailing, accentuating her figure. The ensemble was completed with form-fitting denim jeans, strappy high-heeled footwear, and a platinum blonde wig reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe’s iconic hairstyle.
Further emphasizing the stylized aesthetic of the shoot, Ms. Knowles-Carter revealed gold dental grills beneath her red lipstick while striking a deliberately provocative pose for the camera.
In February, recording artist Beyoncé Knowles-Carter participated in a separate campaign for Levi’s, marking her second collaboration with the iconic American denim brand. That campaign featured the artist styled in a sophisticated denim-on-denim ensemble while engaging in a game of pool at a dive bar, reflecting the brand’s classic Americana aesthetic.
Concurrently, actress Sydney Sweeney, 27, known for her role in Euphoria, was announced as the face of Levi’s autumn advertising campaign, which carried the tagline, “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.”
On Friday, in response to public criticism, American Eagle issued a formal statement defending Ms. Sweeney’s participation in their campaign, after allegations emerged from certain commentators branding the ads as “Nazi propaganda.” Some critics interpreted the tagline as an indirect reference to Ms. Sweeney’s European ancestry and rural upbringing in Idaho, suggesting the phrase “great genes” historically evokes themes celebrating whiteness, physical thinness, and conventional attractiveness—thereby deeming the campaign tone-deaf, as noted in a Salon article summarizing the backlash.
However, other observers dismissed such criticisms as unfounded, contending that the campaign’s message was benign and focused on denim apparel.
Subsequently, social media users began drawing comparisons between Ms. Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign and Ms. Knowles-Carter’s Levi’s advertisement, citing similarities in their denim-on-denim styling, blonde hairstyles, and close-up portrait photography. Nevertheless, many were quick to reject the comparison, emphasizing that Ms. Knowles-Carter’s campaign made no reference—implicit or explicit—to genetics or inherited traits.
In response to the controversy, American Eagle issued a public statement via Instagram clarifying the intent of the campaign, stating: “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans.”#newsafro_
