She did it again. Sydney Sweeney is facing backlash over a controversial advertising campaign, this time for sports-prediction company Novig. The actress appears naked or minimally clad while posing with sports equipment, prompting many female athletes to accuse the campaign of sexualizing women in sport.
Australian surfer Felicity Palmateer called the campaign “very damaging” to female athletes and young girls, while Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus said she was “infuriated” by the ads. Other athletes, including Lani Pallister and boxer Skye Nicholson, also criticized the campaign and called for women in sport to be valued for their abilities rather than their appearance.
“Don’t know what Sydney thinks sport looks like, but THIS is what sport looks like,” Pallister said in a video with women practicing sports on her Instagram account.
Sweeney appeared to respond to the criticism by sharing photos from ESPN The Magazine’s former Body Issue, which featured athletes posing naked or semi-nude. The Novig campaign has also drawn significant attention online, with one Instagram video reportedly receiving 37 million views in four days.
When Sydney Sweeney teamed up with American Eagle for its blue jeans campaign, she sparked worldwide controversy and faced heavy criticism. Indeed, advertising campaigns sometimes get it completely wrong, with some becoming so offensive that they even end up in court. Intrigued? Click on to read about some of the worst.