K-pop group Katseye has launched a denim campaign with Gap that has many pitting the video against actress Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle ad.
The diverse K-pop group partnered with the brand in a 90-second viral video that features the girls dancing to “Milkshake” while sporting Gap’s denim line. On YouTube, the ad has earned nearly nine million views in a little more than a week. Forbes reports the commercial is Gap’s most popular ad yet, with over 100 times’ the brand’s usual engagement.
Online users were quick to draw comparisons to Sweeney’s American Eagle ad, noting Gap’s “better in denim” campaign began a month after American Eagle’s and that both revolve around their respective brand’s denim lines.
Sweeney triggered backlash as many users claimed the ad promoted eugenics. The series of videos features close-ups of the actress from the teen HBO drama Euphoria posing in denim with the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” which is meant to serve as a double entendre with the word “genes.” Online users have pointed out Sweeney has fair skin, blue eyes and blonde hair, a set of genes that has historically been praised as superior.
Sweeney’s ad gained the support of conservatives, with President Donald Trump even commenting on the commercial. Trump posted on Truth Social, “Sydney Sweeney, a registered Republican, has the HOTTEST ad out there,” he wrote.“Go get ’em Sydney!”
Katseye has been praised for their diversity, with members from the United States, Switzerland, South Korea and the Philippines. The group also includes members of Indian, Sri Lankan, Cuban, Venezuelan and Chinese descent.
The group came to fame through the Netflix series Dream Academy, a talent competition show that brought the girls together for the purpose of forming a global girl group. Since the six-member band’s formation in 2023, Katseye has gone on to chart several songs on the Billboard’s top 100.
Online users commented on Katseye’s commercial, generating both praise and hate.
“the Katseye X Gap ad absolutely ENDED that sydney sweeney ad, Gap KNEW what they were doing like a diverse group???? ” one user wrote.
“Gotta tell ya, they are just trying WAY too hard,” another user wrote. “This looks like a parody of wokeness.”
Registration is closed for Common Ground: Building Together conference and gala award banquet in San Francisco on January 24. A shoutout to our planning committee: Jane Chin, Frank Mah, Jeannie Young, Akemi Tamanaha, Nathan Soohoo, Mark Young, Dave Liu, and Yiming Fu.
We are published by the non-profit Asian American Media Inc and supported by our readers along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, The Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation, The Asian American Foundation & Koo and Patricia Yuen of the Yuen Foundation.
Find additional content on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram ,Tiktok, X, and YouTube. Please consider interning or joining our staff. Don’t miss a single headline. Subscribe for free.
