In contracts, whether you’re a celebrity or a salaried employee, your reputation is on loan, and the logo on your paycheque has the final say over how it is used.
Sydney Sweeney probably expected to sell denim when she signed on to promote American Eagle Outfitters Inc., not ignite a culture war. But her “great jeans” campaign is more than a viral moment. It’s a masterclass in how contracts, rather than charisma, dictate control in the workplace and how quickly that control can turn against you.
The beautiful, white actress agreed to appear in a campaign with the cheeky slogan, “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” In today’s cultural climate, it was almost guaranteed to cause offence. It did. Social media declared it problematic, Tesla Inc. mocked it, Donald Trump embraced it and American Eagle’s share price soared.
That spike in stock may not be a win for Sweeney, but it’s a reminder that once you sign an endorsement deal or an employment contract, the brand interests — not yours — dominate.
Celebrity endorsements and employment contracts have a common thread: you give up autonomy for pay. The employer’s contract dictates what you do, how you present yourself and sometimes even what you can say on your own time.
In Sweeney’s case, if she approved the creative, she owns the fallout. If she didn’t, and her contract gave American Eagle creative control, she still owns the fallout.
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