Amid ‘Sydney Sweeney has great jeans’ ad row, looking at 7 instances from Hollywood and Bollywood when celebrity ads created drama

1. Sydney Sweeney’s “great jeans” campaign that went… sideways

 

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Sydney Sweeney’s partnership with American Eagle was advertised to be a fun vibe. But the campaign’s tagline, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” (it’s a pun on “genes”), set off a cultural landmine.

Critics called out the ad for leaning into outdated beauty ideals—blonde hair, blue eyes, long legs—and some even linked the messaging to eugenics references, considering the political climate America is in, vis-à-vis ICE. Things really blew up when figures like Donald Trump praised the ad while others, like Lizzo and Abbie Chatfield, publicly criticised it. The internet lit up with debate.

American Eagle defended the campaign, saying it was meant to celebrate confidence and style for everyone. Still, the brand found itself in the middle of a culture war, and oddly, their stock actually went up in the chaos.

2. Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi protest ad

Remember this one? In 2017, Kendall Jenner handed a cop a Pepsi during a stylised street protest, and… that was supposed to bring peace?

The internet didn’t think so. Viewers said the ad was tone-deaf and trivialised real-world social justice movements like Black Lives Matter. Pepsi pulled the ad almost immediately and issued an apology, but not before it became one of the most infamous marketing flops ever.

3. Madonna’s Pepsi Commercial

Back in 1989, Madonna’s Super Bowl Pepsi ad was the talk of the town—but not all of it was good. Tied to her controversial “Like a Prayer” video, the ad sparked a backlash from religious groups and conservative audiences.

Pepsi eventually cut ties, despite spending millions. Madonna, of course, turned the controversy into fuel and kept right on pushing boundaries.

4. Beyoncé’s “Heat” perfume ad that got banned (sort of)

When Beyoncé launched her Heat fragrance, the commercial was, well, steamy. Dressed in a flowing red dress, she strutted through a sultry set that some viewers—and UK regulators—found a bit too risqué for daytime TV.

The result? The ad was banned before 7:30 pm in Britain, and Beyoncé’s team had to tone down the rollout. Still, the perfume sold incredibly well, maybe because of the controversy, not in spite of it.

5. The ‘toing’ girl – Sana Khan’s Amul Macho ad

In one of India’s most infamous TV ads, actress Sana Khan played a wife who gets visibly flustered while washing her husband’s underwear. Her exaggerated reaction gave birth to the viral “Toing!” moment.

Aired during regular TV shows, the ad was slammed for being too suggestive for prime-time family viewing. It was soon banned, though it left a lasting imprint on ad pop culture and Khan’s career.

6. Arbaaz Khan & Malaika Arora’s steamy coffee ad

A real-life couple brought real chemistry to a Mr Coffee commercial, and… it got people talking. Featuring steamy scenes and the tagline “Real pleasure can’t come in an instant,” the ad played with innuendo and sexual fantasy.

That didn’t sit well with Indian audiences or regulators. The backlash was swift, and the ad was pulled from the air, not because of poor quality, but because it pushed boundaries a little too far for its time.

7. Pooja Bedi’s controversial condom ad

Back in the ’90s, Pooja Bedi and model Marc Robinson starred in a condom commercial that featured a now-iconic bathtub scene. The ad wasn’t subtle, and it didn’t try to be.

While it helped push the conversation on sexual health into mainstream media, many viewers weren’t ready. Public outrage followed, and the ad was eventually banned from Indian television. Still, it remains one of the boldest ad campaigns in the country’s history

When it comes to celebrity ads, star power is a double-edged sword. The wrong message—or even the wrong vibe—can turn a fun promo into a full-blown PR crisis. As Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle moment proves, we’re all still figuring out where the line is between edgy and insensitive.