American Eagle reveals Martha Stewart as new face of the brand as it moves on from Sydney Sweeney controversy

Martha Stewart, 84, appears to have been tapped as the new face of American Eagle as they attempt to move away from their controversy with actress Sydney Sweeney.

Stewart is the new face of the brand’s Give Great Jeans Campaign holiday campaign, which aims to highlight the fact that denim is a ‘universal gift that never goes out of style.’

A few months ago, the brand landed in some serious hot water after the A-list actress’ ad, ‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,’ was accused of promoting eugenics.

The phrase ‘great genes’ is ‘historically used to celebrate whiteness, thinness and attractiveness,’ which it said made ‘this campaign seem to be a tone-deaf marketing move,’ a Salon report on the backlash read.

Since then, the brand has come under fire – but it appears that they’re hoping to change course by hiring Stewart as the face of their holiday campaign.

In a promotional ad posted to her Instagram page on Tuesday morning, the homemaking mogul could be seen standing in an oversized, light-wash denim shirt and skinny jeans as she stood in front of a cabinet with gift-wrapping supplies on it.

‘This holiday season, we’re settling for nothing less than a perfect fit,’ Stewart announced in the clip, as she began to carefully wrap an American Eagle gift box in denim as the wrapping paper.

‘This gift is giving,’ Stewart said at the end, as she showed off the finished product.

‘Giving generously during the holiday season is one of my greatest joys,’ she concluded.

In exclusive photos shared with People, Stewart could also be seen showing off her new denim, as she matched a denim top with a dangling diamond necklace, giving the camera a glamorous smile.

She also posed in a denim jacket paired with dark-wash jeans, her hair in an elegant updo.

‘Denim is a universal gift that works for everyone on your list’ Stewart told People.

‘Jeans have always been a staple in my wardrobe, and giving a great pair of AE jeans is always a nice gift to give,’ she continued.

‘I’m constantly moving between decorating, cooking and, most importantly, wrapping gifts, and I need to make sure I have an outfit that is comfortable and stylish.’

Stewart explained to the outlet that since she has ‘spent decades’ helping people decorate and create beautiful holidays, she was ‘immediately intrigued’ when the brand asked her to be a part of their holiday gifting campaign.

‘The concept of an all denim world was playful, smart and whimsical: an entire gift-wrapping workshop constructed from denim, complete with bows, garlands and wrapping paper,’ she said of the campaign.

Stewart also shared that the fit of your jeans is really what’s most important, and advised people to take their time trying to find a great pair.

‘Once you find the style you like, don’t just stand there. Make sure to move around, test them out, make sure they work with your life,’ she warned.

‘If they do not feel good in motion, they aren’t right. You want to make sure you can live in them.’

Daily Mail reached out to American Eagle for comment.  

Stewart’s advertisement is a far cry from Sweeney’s.

In her advertisement, Sweeney is seen buttoning up her jeans as she muses in a video: ‘Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color… my genes are blue’.

A second advert sees the camera pan down Sweeney’s chest as she models a plunging denim jumpsuit.

She muses: ‘My body’s composition is determined by my genes…’ before exclaiming: ‘Hey, eyes up here’ as the camera cuts back to her face.

The advertisement has divided fans, however, with one critic calling the clip ‘one of the loudest and most obvious racialized dog whistles we’ve seen and heard in a while.’

Sweeney addressed the backlash in a recent interview with GQ, while she was promoting her new movie, Christy.

‘I did a jean ad. The reaction definitely was a surprise, but I love jeans. All I wear are jeans. I’m literally in jeans and a T-shirt every day of my life,’ she began, unbothered by the backlash.

When pressed about Donald Trump calling the ad ‘fantastic,’ Sweeney stayed poised, seemingly sidestepping the leading question and simply noting she was surprised by all the attention while staying focused on her work.

‘It was surreal… it’s not that I didn’t have that feeling, but I wasn’t thinking of it like that. Or like, of any of it. I kind of just put my phone away. I was filming (Euphoria) every day,’ she explained.

When given the chance to address claims the ad condoned ‘genetic superiority,’ Sweeney simply replied, ‘I think that when I have an issue that I want to speak about, people will hear.’