Trump supports Sydney Sweeney in the controversy
Donald Trump praises Sidney Sweeney and her American Eagle ads after hearing that she is a Republican.
- President Trump criticized Jaguar’s 2024 advertising campaign after the CEO announced his resignation.
- The ad entitled “Copy Nothing” featured a model of bright androgynous clothing, and did not include vehicles.
- Jaguar defended the rebranding as a “bold and imaginative reinvention” and a “dramatic leap.”
President Donald Trump has waste no time provoking British luxury car maker Jaguar after the CEO announced he was resigning after a controversial rebrand that was deemed “awakening” last year. The president wrote on his social media platform on Monday, August 4th.
Jaguar Land Rover did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
CEO Adrian Mardell, who spent 30 years at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and served as CEO for the past three years, announced in November that he would resign and take over by PB Balaji. The company announced its switch-up with its release on Thursday, July 31st.
“The last three years have been a great privilege,” Mardel said in writing. “Along with an incredible JLR workforce, we have solidified the position of JLR in the automotive industry in an age of incredible change.”
Why was the ads controversial?
In November 2024, the company released a head flying ad entitled “Copy Nothing.” The 30-second ad didn’t have a car, but instead there was a model dressed in bright androgynous clothing.
Slogans the company used as part of its ads included “frenzy”, “live vivid”, “normal removal” and “destructive type” using British spelling.
The ad quickly spread word-of-mouth on social media, generating tens of millions of views and thousands of social media comments within 24 hours.
Several Jaguar customers said they were caught off guard by the ad.
“This made me want to sell Jaguars, but I don’t own Jaguars,” tweeted Robbie Starbuck, a conservative business activist at the time.
In a statement defending the rebrand, the company said: “The Jaguar brand reboot was a bold, imaginative reinvention that, as expected, attracted attention and debate.
“As custodians who are proud of these incredible points of Jaguar history, we have been holding the iconic symbol dramatically, and what is clear about the brand is just the first step in this exciting new era.”
What did the president say?
Trump had his own opinion on the ads, but he shared it on Monday, August 4th.
“Jaguar woke up a stupid, serious awakening an ad. It’s a complete disaster! The CEO resigns in disgrace, and the company is in absolute confusion,” Trump wrote in the Truth Social Post.
The president was referring to Sweeney’s American Eagle Jeans ads. This was attacked to support eugenics for wordplay using “jeans” and “genes.”
In an ad called “Great Jeans for Sydney Sweeney,” the actress told camera:
Next comes the phrase “Sydney Sweeney has some amazing jeans.” People who disagree with the ad say the company used a blonde, blue-eyed white woman as a symbol of good genes.
Following Trump’s comments, American Eagle shares rose 23%.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact her at mdelrey@usatoday.com
