American Eagle
Advertising Impact Study
My team conducted a social listening analysis of the American Eagle x Sydney Sweeney campaign to evaluate the ROI of controversial marketing. By synthesizing sentiment data with sales metrics, we proved that high emotional activation can drive record-breaking engagement and financial growth despite polarized public discourse.
Project Snapshot
The Business Question
Project: American Eagle Advertising Impact Study
Client: American Eagle, Sydney Sweeney "Good Jeans" Ad
Timeline: 4 weeks
Team: 3 team members, varying specialities from design to analytical background
Role: Analytical Researcher, Presentation Designer
Skills: Data communication, group collaboration, statistics, programming, insight framing, graphic design, branding
Programs: R coding, Social Media Listening, Sentiment Analysis
We chose the American Eagle “Sydney Sweeney Has Good Jeans” campaign because its mix of controversy, cultural relevance, and user-generated content created a rare opportunity to study how public sentiment quickly reshapes brand perception.
The campaign’s polarizing reactions, lingering online discussion, and questions around representation, influencer alignment, and narrative control make it an ideal case to analyze how Gen Z evaluates authenticity in real time.
Research Question
“How do controversial ad campaigns affect brand performance and overall business success?”
Research Methodology
1.
Campaign & Company Overview
Sydney Sweeney x American Eagle “Great Jeans” Campaign
Our group began by setting a foundational understanding of the industry and where the campaign aligned in pop culture in the current setting. This allowed us to then further our specify our research question and decide on program of R, with sentiment analysis being used.
2.
Data Collection & Cleaning
Next our group sourced CSV, through R, to scrap current social media data from the following sources:
1. YouTube Comments - Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans (14,780 observations)
2. YouTube Comments - Better in Denim by GAP, acted as comparison point (25,156 observations)
3. Reddit Comments - General American Eagle (28,490 observations)
Variables:
-
Frequency of comments
-
Sentiment Analysis
-
Top 40 Bigrams
-
Top comments and main talking points
3.
Sentiment Analysis on AE and Gap Campaigns
Using R Studio and leveraging Generative AI to help write code needed, our group completed a multi-focus analysis. Through code, we created data visuals to illustrate number insights more easily for managerial audience.
Sentiment analysis with the use dummy variables was completed to quantify Gen Z viewpoint and positive/negative emotions of their watching experience.
4.
Results of Analysis
Insight 1: Overall Sentiment For The Campaign Was Mostly Neutral, Not Universally Hated
Insight 2: Most Conversation Focused On Product, Not Sydney Sweeney
Insight 3: Consumers Responded More Positively to Diversity in the GAP Ad Compared to the American Eagle Ad
*all results are data-backed. numerical and graphical support can be found in video
Research Limitations
Strategic Recommendations
1. Comments represent vocal users, not everyone
2. Lack of volume on Reddit. AE subreddit focused on coupons/deals
3. Sentiment analysis oversimplifies nuance (sarcasm and humor)
4. Other variables in play aside from diversity when it comes to AE vs. GAP
Recommendation 1:
Carefully Manage Post-Controversy Messaging
Recommendation 2:
Redirect Controversy Towards Product Strength
Recommendation 3:
Prioritize Racial and Cultural Diversity in Casting
*all recommendations are derived from insights and are further supported by data/case studies & specified in presentation
Company Specific Outcomes
Manage Post-Campaign Messaging
Keep it silent, own what you say, or diffuse disagreement.
Do not downplay the public.
Anchor on Product Strength
Redirect conversation to product strength on YouTube (where core shoppers are). Use Reddit’s harsh criticism to guide future decisions.
Prioritize Racial Diversity
Racial diversity > size diversity. Employ more culturally diverse influencers in future campaigns.
Project Showcase & Reflection
This project’s greatest takeaway was mastering new data research methodologies, specifically using R Studio to execute sentiment analysis across diverse platforms and variables. Through this process, I recognized the value of project management by dedicating time to learn complex methods and troubleshoot technical hurdles. Finally, I learned to distill "big data" into digestible, actionable insights for leadership. I realized that data exists to drive fast, informed decisions, positioning the data scientist as a vital link in that strategic chain.