American Eagle ad featuring Sydney Sweeney receives backlash

LOS ANGELES (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - A well-known clothing retailer is the latest example of an American company getting caught up in cultural politics after trying to boost sales with a provocative ad.

The backlash started after an American Eagle ad, featuring actor Sydney Sweeney, featured the slogan, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans." Some people complained it sent an offensive message.

Now, President Donald Trump has gotten involved.

That play on words, genes and jeans, kickstarted a cultural firestorm, with American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney at the center.

Critics have accused the ad of playing up eugenics, that Sweeney's white skin color, blonde hair and blue eyes were "greater" than other genes.

Others have called the negative reaction overblown, and support for the ad now extends to the White House. This includes President Trump calling it "the 'hottest' ad out there," and praising Sweeney's reported political leanings.

"If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic," Trump expressed.

American Eagle responded to the backlash Friday, writing "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone."

On Monday, after Trump's endorsement, the company's stock price jumped over 23%.

"It's not really about the jeans anymore at this point," said Gillian Follett, a social media and influencer marketing reporter for Ad Age. "If they were hoping to kind of create this buzz, they did that, but I don't know if it's necessarily what their target demographic wants to see from them."

American Eagle stock is correcting Tuesday, and is losing some of its gains during Tuesday's trading.