Sydney Sweeney Releases New Ad After Sports Campaign Backlash

Actress Sydney Sweeney has released a new commercial featuring footballs and white underwear, continuing a controversial advertising campaign that drew criticism from female athletes and other observers. The latest advertisement appeared on Instagram Sunday, weeks after her previous sports-themed promotion prompted debate over the portrayal of women in sports.

In the new commercial, Sweeney appears without a top and uses footballs to cover herself while joking about people tracking the color of her underwear. She also references someone risking retirement savings on a war before describing the platform's focus as sports.

Fans responded positively to the latest post, with some encouraging the actress to continue the campaign. Others anticipated renewed criticism following the controversy surrounding the original advertisement.

The earlier commercial featured Sweeney posing nearly nude with sports equipment. The campaign drew objections from professional athletes and Olympians who argued that its presentation sexualized women and offered a misleading representation of female participation in sports.

Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus criticized the original campaign, describing it as a personal affront to women who have dedicated their lives to athletic competition.

Gymnast Gracie Kramer argued that the advertisement promoted women's sports through a male perspective, while British sprinter Amy Hunt said it presented an inaccurate picture of what women in sports look like.

Following the backlash, Sweeney shared images of prominent athletes who had posed nude for ESPN's Body Issue. Those athletes included Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Caroline Wozniacki.

Adrienne Uthe, founder of Kronus Communications, previously discussed the controversy with Fox News Digital, emphasizing the distinction between personal criticism of an advertisement and a woman's ability to make decisions about her own image.

"women having agency also means allowing women to make choices about their image that other women may not personally agree with." Uthe said.

Uthe acknowledged that female athletes could reasonably object to the campaign while arguing that the controversy was unlikely to cause substantial professional harm to Sweeney.

"People are entitled to dislike the ad, just like women athletes are entitled to criticize it for their own reasons," Uthe said. "But I don't think this is materially damaging to Sydney Sweeney in any way, shape or form.

Uthe also assessed the campaign in relation to Sweeney's public image and career, saying the actress retained the ability to choose the projects she pursued.

"In fact, I don't think it's a large departure from who she is and what her brand represents. She's a beautiful woman right now at the peak of her career, and she ultimately can decide which projects she wants to take and which ones she doesn't." Uthe said.

Uthe further argued that the actress had incorporated sexuality into her public image, regardless of whether audiences approved of that choice.

"And she's chosen to make sexuality a part of her brand for better or for worse." Uthe added.

The company behind the original campaign previously defended the advertisement as a creative concept intended to combine confidence, humor and a playful approach. The dispute has continued with the release of Sweeney's latest commercial.

The controversy follows another advertising dispute involving Sweeney in 2025, when her American Eagle campaign, titled Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans, drew criticism over wordplay connecting denim with genetics. Critics argued that the promotional video carried racial undertones, while supporters defended it as a straightforward clothing advertisement.