Hot girls and denim: American Eagle rediscovers a winning formula



Youth retailer American Eagle just launched a new ad campaign featuring “it girl” Sydney Sweeney from “Euphoria” — and her well-endowed fame is turning heads and shaping markets. The campaign launch, featuring the bombshell known for her curves, drove the stock up 15% in a single day.

Whatever American Eagle paid Sweeney, it was worth it. The company’s market cap jumped $400 million in one day following a 47% decline in its stock price last year. After years of hawking body positivity, it appears “hot girl summer” is once again the way to go.

American Eagle is back, reignited by the formula as old as advertising itself: Sexy sells.

The idea that hot girls leaning on muscle cars sell jeans — or anything else, for that matter — is nothing revolutionary in the ad world. Who could forget Pepsi’s 1992 ad featuring Cindy Crawford at the gas station in jeans and a white tank top? No Gen Xer on the planet could forget this ad. It was iconic — and effective.

Bringing sexy back

American Eagle’s newest campaign is a major about-face after more than a decade of jeans, car, and beer brands forcing wokeness down our gullets. Ultimately, sex sells. And pretty girls with sexy stares can sell everything from men’s deodorant to the WNBA — if only they had more Sophie Cunninghams!

Calvin Klein jeans made sexy their stock-in-trade over 40 years ago. In 1980, the premium jeans brand gave us Brooke Shields seductively whispering, “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

She was 15, and it was both sordid and problematic. But it ushered in decades of “hot girls in jeans” advertising. From Kate Moss naked from the waist up in Calvin Klein jeans to Anna Nicole Smith doing her best Marilyn Monroe impression for Guess, the formula worked.

Abercrombie & Fitch gave sexy a twist with preppy hot girls and guys — shirtless — in black-and-white Bruce Weber photography. CEO Mike Jeffries was so obsessed with sexy that the brand was sued for hiring only good-looking people as sales associates in their stores.

Man boobs don’t sell

Then wokeness tightened its grip on corporate America. Sexy was out. Dylan Mulvaney cosplaying as Audrey Hepburn drinking Bud Light and overweight, nonbinary, hairy-chested men in bras and Calvin Klein jeans were in.

But the public didn’t buy it. Literally.

Bud Light’s partnership with Mulvaney in 2023 sparked a historic backlash. The brand plummeted from America’s best-selling beer to number three. Its market share tanked, and sales have declined more than 20% annually since.

RELATED: Go woke, go MEGA broke — this luxury company’s sales just plummeted 97%

  Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Walking back woke

But after years of brand-destroying body positivity, the remnants of normies at American Eagle took the wheel, and their sales and stock price soared. The brand is back, reignited by the formula as old as advertising itself: Sexy sells. Always has, always will.

Even Nike seems to be walking back its own woke phase. Just last week, the company ran a series of ads with U.S. Open winner Scottie Scheffler touting family values.

Another adage permeates advertising: Always include a cutaway shot of either a dog, a baby, or both. Cuteness, like hotness, sells. And nothing is cuter than golf champ Scheffler holding his baby.

Nike’s ad campaign with Scheffler comes on the heels of the company’s previous campaign with Dylan Mulvaney in a sports bra — without any boobs at all. Are we to believe that Nike has shed its wokeness? I think what’s more likely is that Nike was never woke to begin with.

Nike’s mantra is money. And execs will abandon Mulvaney as fast as you can say, “Just do it,” if it means reversing their sales decline and pleasing their shareholders.

Reigniting the normies

As Clay Travis famously put it, “The only two things I 100% believe in are the First Amendment and boobs.” We can gasp and pretend this is a controversial statement. But Travis only said what we all know to be true: Boobs are a reliable winner. Breast augmentation surgeries have experienced a compound annual growth rate of 13% per year since 2020 for a reason.

American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney campaign is not remotely “body positive,” and that’s a good thing. It pays. And I predict other brands will take note.

Returning to normie marketing means brands can advertise normal ideas to normal people without feeling bad about it any more. And we can let it wash over us in all of its visual pleasantness.

Expect a wave of ad campaigns in which marketers quietly memory-hole the failed “body positivity” experiment and return to what actually works. The brands chasing social justice won’t say it out loud, but they’re breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Nike’s Scottie Scheffler Dad Ad Signals A Serious Cultural Vibe Shift

The path forward isn’t paved with more slogans, more division, or more social experiments — it’s built on the foundation of family.

Nike ditches wokeness in family-friendly golf ad: 'More of this, please!'



A Nike ad featuring the world's No.1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler, is being praised by sports fans for its focus on family.

Scheffler is not only the best golfer in the world, but he has proven himself to be a proud American and all-around decent human and family man.

Following yet another win at the Open Championship last weekend, Scheffler's sponsor, Nike, surprisingly celebrated the 29-year-old's family with a heartwarming ad.

'Finally you guys unwoke the marketing.'

Scheffler's 1-year-old son, Bennett, stole the show at Royal Portrush Golf Club; the crowd cheered as the baby tried to run up the green toward his father as he accepted the tournament trophy. A few tumbles made the moment more endearing.

This led to the father and son becoming the focus of Nike's subsequent promo, showing the family on the golf course.

"Priorities unchanged. Another major secured. The wins keep coming on and off the course for Scottie Scheffler," Nike wrote on X.

A photo of Scheffler and son playing with a golf club read, "You've already won," followed by Scheffler taking a swing with the caption, "But another major never hurt."

Sports fans were elated with the ad and immediately poured praise on Nike for straying away from progressive politics.

RELATED: 'They can't speak up': Caitlin Clark headlines latest woke Nike ad that claims women are told they can't succeed

Refreshing to see uplifting content in sports ads from Nike.
— C.Jay Engel 🌲 (@contramordor) July 20, 2025

"More of this and less of the woke BS," a golf page replied.

"More of this, please!" the American Principles Project cried out.

Another golf fan replied on X, "Finally you guys unwoke the marketing."

Hopefully someone is paying attention to how much more this ad resonated than the woke garbage 😂
— The Knowledge Archivist (@KnowledgeArchiv) July 21, 2025

The fans have correctly noticed the shift in tone from the company, as Nike is just months removed from multiple marketing disasters that completely misread the room.

One campaign featuring WNBA star Caitlin Clark received criticism for its gross exaggeration about the treatment female athletes receive.

The campaign from February promoted the idea that prominent female athletes are berated and constantly told "how they should act."

The ad went on to claim that women are told not to be ambitious and that they should not have fun.

But that commercial was nothing compared to a tone-deaf ad Nike put out in the U.K. in April.

RELATED: Nike is getting hammered for 'tone-deaf' ad at London Marathon: 'Heads need to roll'

 

  

 

Nike issued an apology for its ad at the London Marathon after it used a red-colored sign that read, "Never again. Until next year."

The ad was intended to refer to the feeling of being exhausted at the end of the race but returning to try again the following year. However, many felt the ad was downplaying the Holocaust, which has often been referenced with the phrase "never again."

If the latest golf ad is any indication of what resonates with sports fans, Nike should certainly continue its straightforward approach to win back the hearts and minds of those who buy its products.

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Charles Barkley has STRONG thoughts on men competing against women in sports



NBA Hall of Fame member Charles Barkley said the idea of men playing in women's sports is no longer an argument worth having, as he cannot be convinced.

Never one to shy away from a loaded question, Barkley was asked by OutKick's Dan Dakich about a recent study Nike is allegedly funding.

The study, according to Fox News, has been testing how much puberty blockers are needed for male adolescents in order to reduce athletic performance to a level where they could "fairly" compete against females.

The study first came to light during a New York Times piece in defense of Blaire Fleming, a male athlete who dominated women's volleyball in the NCAA in 2024.

"Have you seen this thing?" Dakich asked Barkley.

"I have not, but I'm a make this very simple for you, Dan. Men should not play sports against women," Barkley replied. "I'm not gonna get into all the bulls**t that's going on out here in the world today."

'I'm never gonna think it's all right for men to play sports against women.'

Barkley told Dakich on his show, "Don't @ Me," that while he has love for gay and transgender people and is against discrimination, "Men should not play sports against women. If anybody thinks that, I think they're stupid."

Barkley added that under no circumstances does he think it is appropriate for a male athlete to play against women. He continued, "If anybody have a problem with that, they gonna have to get over it, because I'm not gonna change. I'm not gonna change. I just think it's wrong, period."

Dakich concurred and lamented that in comparison to all the political positions and arguments that have taken place in recent history, this subject was not one worth fighting over. Barkley again agreed and said he didn't even think the topic was controversial.

"I'm never gonna think it's all right for men to play sports against women. I don't even think that's controversial. That's the thing that's funny. When you see these debates on television, like, yeah. Men shouldn't play sports against women. I'm done. I don't wanna hear you try to explain it to me. No. No. No. No. No, I don't wanna hear it. I'm not gonna argue with you. Man shouldn't play sports against women."

Barkley has no issue with making political statements or remarks on social issues that others deem controversial.

Recently, he said that friend and fellow broadcaster Stephen A. Smith should not run for president for the Democrats, despite pushes from many in the media for him to do so.

Barkley has also criticized the city of San Francisco on numerous occasions for its mismanagement and inability to solve its homelessness problem.

On the topic of transgender women, or rather men, in women's sports, Barkley concluded, "There's a lot of s**t we can argue over. That ain't one of them."

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Phil Robertson’s 79th birthday request might be the funniest thing that’s happened this year



Phil Robertson, beloved patriarch of Duck Commander and the Robertson family, is a symbol of rugged tradition. Decked out in camouflage, preaching a faith-centered, back-to-basics lifestyle, he's the antithesis of modern trendiness.

That’s why his 79th birthday request left his son Jase in stitches.

“It was the most shocking thing I’ve ever heard come out of my dad’s mouth,” he laughs.

 

On April 24, Phil, now living in a care facility as he battles Alzheimer’s disease, welcomed Jase for a visit. “Your birthday’s coming up, Dad,” Jase said. “What do you want me to get you?”

Phil’s answer? “You heard of this company called Nike?”

Jase, retelling the story on the “Unashamed” podcast, can’t hold back his laughter.

“You can’t make this up!” he cackles. “He said, ‘I think I want some of those Air Jordan tenny shoes'" — specifically “high-tops” in "orange and white.”

"I just really think if I had a pair of those I'd be all right," Phil added.

“10 minutes later he's like, ‘You going to get me them shoes?'" says Jase.

A few days later, after returning from a trip to Nashville, Jase visited his dad, who immediately asked, “Where’s my shoes?”

“I’ve never seen him wear a pair of tennis shoes in my life,” he laughs. “Sometimes the bucket list, you just start digging around in there and you come out with a pair of high-top Air Jordans.”

To hear Jase tell the hilarious story of his dad, who’s spent a lifetime dodging modern trends, wishing for a pair of Air Jordans, watch the episode above.

Want more from the Robertsons?

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Nike is getting hammered for 'tone-deaf' ad at London Marathon: 'Heads need to roll'



Nike's latest advertisement at the London Marathon was lambasted as tone-deaf and completely disrespectful.

The red-colored sign read, "Never again. Until next year." It was supposed to refer to the spirit of runners finishing a trial and returning the next year, but many took it as an insult to the victims of the Holocaust.

'We did not mean any harm and apologize for any we caused. The London billboards were part of a broader campaign ...'

Among the critics was billionaire investor Bill Ackman.

"The idea that @Nike would make light of the holocaust using Hitler-red imagery in a post-October 7th world is stunning. Heads need to roll. WTF Nike?" he posted.

"I assume that this was unintentional, but it is hard to imagine that there was no one at @Nike, on the marketing team, at their advertising firm, banner manufacture etc. who didn’t know or who didn’t think to Google the words ‘Never again,'" he added in a second tweet.

"I'm guessing it's not super fun in the halls of @Nike right now. So many unforced errors. Never again? WTAF was this marketing person thinking?? A purge of mid level marketers must be underway. Plus some high level ones," replied XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey.

"What on earth was @Nike thinking? They posted this enormous billboard in London for the London Marathon, just days after Holocaust Remembrance Day, but not for Holocaust Remembrance Day," wrote pro-Israel author Aviva Klompas.

"I don’t believe for a second there was any ill malice, but please understand the concern with using the words ‘Never Again,’ what they represent and why this was in poor taste," responded human rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky.

Nike released a statement to CNBC apologizing for the offensive ad.

“We did not mean any harm and apologize for any we caused. The London billboards were part of a broader campaign titled 'Winning Isn’t Comfortable,' built on runners’ insights and designed to motivate runners to push past what they think is possible," the company said.

"A series of billboards with taglines such as 'Remember why you signed up for this,' 'This is bloody tough' and 'Never again until next year' were placed along the route to inspire runners and the copy was based on common phrases used by runners," they added.

The iconic shoe company had been criticized by many on the right when they signed on the controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a spokesperson after his national anthem kneeling protests.

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Next Time Nike Is Tempted To Run A Feminist Super Bowl Ad, Just Don’t Do It

Nike’s big celebration of women is actually demeaning.

'They can't speak up': Caitlin Clark headlines latest woke Nike ad that claims women are told they can't succeed



A new Nike commercial spreads the message that prominent female athletes feel berated and constantly told "how they should act."

The ad stars athletes like WNBA players Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson, along with gymnast Jordan Chiles and sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson.

The artistically black-and-white production shows each athlete in their sport and other scenarios (like photoshoots) while a voiceover from rapper Doechii explains how oppressively the female athletes are allegedly treated.

"You can't be demanding. You can't be relentless. You can't put yourself first. So put yourself first. You can't be confident, so be confident," the voiceover stated.

The ad continues, showing the women flexing their arms and celebrating as the narration goes on, "You can't challenge, so challenge. You can't dominate, so dominate. You can't flex, so flex. You can't fill a stadium, so fill that stadium. You can't be emotional, so be emotional."

Nike's explainer for the ad goes even further in terms of the supposed treatment these athletes have received. The brand states its marketing campaign is meant to speak directly to "athletes who lead and dominate despite constantly being told how they should act, what they can't do, and who they can't be."

'You can't speak up. You can't be so ambitious.'

However, Nike's chief marketing officer Nicole Graham gave a comment in the press release, which strangely wasn't anywhere close to the messaging of the ad. Graham said the company was "representing the voice of the athlete" and attempting to "inspire everyone to win, whatever that means for them."

The commercial makes more intriguing claims, though, stating women are told not to be ambitious and that they shouldn't have fun.

"You can't take credit. You can't speak up. You can't be so ambitious. You can't break records. You can't have any fun. You can't make demands. You can't keep score. You can't stand out."

The ad finishes with the on-screen tagline, "You can't win. So win."

This campaign was seemingly a continuation of how Clark closed out her first WNBA season, which involved apologizing for her race and attributing accomplishments to her skin color.

"I want to say I've earned every single thing, but as a white person, there is privilege," Clark shockingly said in a Time interview. "The more we can elevate black women, that’s going to be a beautiful thing," she explained.

About a day later, Clark contradicted her statements again while speaking with Time.

"I feel like I've earned every single thing that's happened to me over the course of my career."

Clark will start her second professional season with the Indiana Fever in May, with the 2025 WNBA season kicking off May 16.

The Nike ad appeared during the Super Bowl LIX broadcast. Ads were estimated to come with a price tag of $8 million per 30 seconds, according to CBS News.

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Blaze News original: Top 5 insane quotes from the WNBA's biggest — and weirdest — season ever



The WNBA has wrapped up its most notable season since its inception, breaking multiple viewership records while increasing attendance across the league.

The rookie season of Caitlin Clark saw ticket prices skyrocket wherever she played, with games even having to change locations to accommodate the fans who wanted to see her.

'I'm speaking on a particular group that is motivated by hate and destruction.'

But with more eyeballs came far more scrutiny of — and pressure on — the players. Not only did many players buckle under their newfound fame but so did owners and reporters.

What resulted from this historic season wasn't a showering of praise on the league's new fans or an increased appreciation for the sport but rather a historic series of blunders.

5. WNBA owner calls Clark fans 'racist'

Typically, sports franchise owners want to pull fans into arenas, not alienate them. That note seemingly didn't make its way to the desk of Renee Montgomery, former WNBA star and part owner of the Atlanta Dream.

Not only did Montgomery claim there was a prevalence of "bots" and "faux fans" within Clark's massive online following, but also the owner doubted that the new star's fans even watched her games.

"I'm speaking on a particular group that is motivated by hate and destruction," Montgomery said in a clip she posted to X.

"I like when our fans are so engaged and so passionate that they just don't like the other team. But being racist, sexist, and violent with your words — come on now, what are we doing? ... That's not acceptable," she added.

For some reason, the owner even brought Boston Celtics fans into the mix and accused them of "racist treatment of players."

The Dream finished 15-25 and were swept in the playoffs. Karma?

4. Reporter says a single MAGA hat made a WNBA game 'unsafe'

It wasn't enough in the 2024 season simply not to be a fan of Clark. Any connection to conservative politics that possibly could have been made was made — and then connected to some form of hatred.

Take WNBA writer Frankie de la Cretaz. The "they/them" journalist attended Game 2 of the playoff series between Clark's Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun.

De la Cretaz's reporting included citing the game's "vibe" as "horrendous" while also claiming she and her "partner" told off a "racist" fan sitting behind them. The fan's crime was daring to mock one of the Sun players for wearing fake eyelashes on the court.

The writer was even more outraged by "a man in a MAGA hat" and a woman wearing a "ban nails" shirt. The fan also sported props of giant fingernails on her hands.

When all was said and done, de la Cretaz said she'd be writing a scathing review about her horrible experience before adding, "I've never felt unsafe at a WNBA game & tonight I did."

3. Players complain their private planes are too small

After Clark was photographed on a luxury private flight — likely due to her being responsible for the massive attention the league was getting — players began demanding similar amenities.

Did they take their issues to WNBA brass and ownership? Of course not. Instead they took to their social media pages and press interviews.

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese was the first to complain, posting a photo of herself seemingly embarrassed to be on a commercial flight.

On her Instagram story, Reese showed herself in sunglasses and a paper mask with the caption: "Just praying that this is one of the last commercial flights the Chicago Sky has to fly." A second caption read, "Practicing gratitude & patience as the league introduces charter flights for all teams."

Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham went about her request far more arrogantly, saying, "Butterflies and rainbows now that we got the charters" before adding that the private planes weren't big enough.

 Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

"We are so grateful to be able to start chartering, but with that, there's a lot of things that need to be adjusted," she said during an interview. "Our bags and some of our people can't fly with us because our charter is too small. While other teams get big planes."

Cunningham seems to be unaware that while the league is losing a reported $50 million in 2024, its private plane program is responsible for half that debt at $25 million.

2. A'ja Wilson claims black players don't get endorsements — and is immediately proven wrong

In what may have been a cruel joke by a reporter, Las Vegas Aces player A'ja Wilson made wild, racially charged accusations, only to be immediately proven wrong.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Wilson claimed that race has played a "huge" role in Clark's popularity while adding that black women aren't seen as marketable and, despite what they may accomplish, are still ignored.

"It doesn't matter what we all do as black women; we're still going to be swept underneath the rug," Wilson argued.

To the surprise of very few, Wilson's claims were completely destroyed before they were even published.

A week before the interview went public, Wilson signed a deal with Gatorade. Then, on May 11, Wilson and Nike announced that she would be endorsed and given her own signature shoe.

On May 12, Wilson's interview with the Associated Press was published, leaving egg all over her face.

Wilson called it a "dream" of hers to be able to work with such an iconic brand as Nike, but she failed to mention anything about being unmarketable due to her race.

1. Cameron Brink accidentally calls her teammates ugly

The most jaw-dropping quote of the season came from the right place — that is, if you believe woke culture and social justice are forces for good.

When Cameron Brink gave an interview about "tired narratives," she focused on the idea of breaking stereotypes and tropes. However, the 22-year-old actually just ended up calling her teammates ugly and manly.

'Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns.'

In an attempt to spew woke dogma, Brink initially went with race as a factor in popularity: "I will acknowledge there's a privilege for the younger white players of the league. That's not always true, but there is a privilege that we have inherently, and the privilege of appearing feminine."

Your browser does not support the video tag. Video by Dave Tolley/Getty Images

After stating there is pressure for women to appear womanly, Brink attempted to explain why her more "masculine" teammates should be more popular despite their looks.

"Some of my teammates are more masculine. Some of my teammates go by they/them pronouns," she said. "I want to bring more acceptance to that and not just have people support us because of the way that we look. I know I can feed into that because I like to dress femininely, but that's just me. I want everyone to be accepted — not just paid attention to because of how they look."

Brink has since continued to dress like a woman.

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FACT CHECK: Did Caitlin Clark Turn Down Offer From Nike?

The claim stems from a satirical news outlet.