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Sydney Sweeney channeled Hollywood icons Marilyn Monroe and Pamela Anderson as she stepped out at the premiere of her upcoming film “The Housemaid.”
Sweeney’s white-hot look comes as reports American Eagle’s stock has soared following the “Euphoria” star’s summer jeans campaign. Sweeney’s ad boosted the company’s shares by 10%, according to data from Brokerchooser. The controversial ad campaign, titled “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” added roughly $400 million in market value and amplified the brand’s web traffic by 100%.
While Monroe and Anderson were each unique cultural icons, Sweeney represents something larger, according to branding expert Doug Eldridge.
“Monroe was a one-off, in terms of her beauty and pin-up appeal,” Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital. “In many ways, Sweeney is the same for the youth of today, but unlike Monroe, Sweeney has also been selective in her roles (so as to avoid being typecast); her marketing and endorsements (to further show her range and commercial appeal); and she has even made a political statement of sorts, by refusing to cower to the woke mob, who vilified the AE tagline and demanded that Sweeney personally issue an apology.”
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Sydney Sweeney channeled old Hollywood glam while promoting her upcoming film “The Housemaid.” (Steve Eichner/Variety via Getty Images)
Branding experts say Sydney Sweeney’s confident image echoes icons like Marilyn Monroe and Pamela Anderson. (Aeon/GC Images)
Though Sweeney draws inevitable comparisons to Monroe, her allure feels less like a reflection of the past and more like a reinvention of it.
“Sweeney has the superficial beauty of Monroe, but she also exhibits a sense of stoic depth that the late-Monroe never demonstrated,” he added. “Sweeney has proven that she can increase share prices for brands, but more importantly, she’s proving that in 2025 she isn’t the second coming of anyone — she’s the first Sydney Sweeney.”
Branding expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital “The Housemaid” star “isn’t the second coming of anyone — she’s the first Sydney Sweeney.” (Steve Eichner/Variety via Getty Images)
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Sweeney’s collaboration with American Eagle for its fall clothing campaign sparked mixed reactions. In one version of the ad, Sweeney stated: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color. My jeans are blue.”
While some dubbed the campaign as “tone-deaf” due to the alleged racial undertones, others praised the actress for killing “woke” advertising. According to Salon, the term “great genes” was historically used to “celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness.”
American Eagle defended Sweeney amid the backlash but removed the controversial video from the brand’s social media accounts. “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans,” the statement said. “Her Jeans. Her Story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way.”
Sweeney even received support from President Donald Trump.
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Sweeney herself spoke about the controversy in a statement to People on Dec. 5, saying, “I was honestly surprised by the reaction. I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
She continued, “Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I’m against hate and divisiveness. In the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it. So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.”
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While Monroe and Anderson embodied past cultural archetypes of beauty and sex appeal, Sweeney represents the modern evolution of that image.
“By contrast, Sweeney has demonstrated theatrical range, commercial appeal and a quiet confidence that is rare to find in the era of gratuitous, tongue-dragging mea culpas,” Eldridge told Fox News Digital.
“As long as Sweeney continues to follow her current roadmap, the only limitations placed on her will be the ones she places on herself. Otherwise, the sky is the limit.”
Pamela Anderson rose to fame as a 1990s pop culture icon, best known for her starring role on “Baywatch” and her enduring influence on beauty and fashion trends. (George De Sota/Newsmakers)
Marilyn Monroe was a legendary actress and model whose charisma and vulnerability made her an enduring symbol of Hollywood glamour and timeless femininity. (M. Garrett/Murray Garrett/Getty Images)
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Being compared to the pop culture legend is enough to help elevate Sweeney’s career, even if she never achieves the same recognition as Monroe, branding expert Steve Honig told Fox News Digital.
Despite controversy, Sydney Sweeney continues to rise as one of Hollywood’s most marketable young stars. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
“Marilyn Monroe is an iconic figure in this country’s history; she is a pop culture legend,” the founder of The Honig Company explained. “I think it is highly unlikely that Sydney Sweeney, as popular as she is or will become, can come close to reaching the status of a Marilyn Monroe. That said, the fact that people are comparing her to Marilyn Monroe can only help her career.
“Oftentimes, the success of a star is based as much on their offscreen image as it is on their performances,” he continued. “She is very much in today’s pop culture conversation and the fact that people are even putting her in the same sentence as Marilyn Monroe is good for her image and career.”
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