Sydney Sweeney Boosts Brands

Sydney Sweeney is turning into the ultimate stock booster, adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the stocks of brands she works with and even giving some enough clout to get acquired.

The Big Picture: There’s been a lot of debate in recent years over the current impact of celebrity-driven marketing, with naysayers arguing that digital influencers are much more likely to capture Gen Z’s attention. Well, Sweeney’s hot streak may have just put that debate to bed.

Behind the Scenes: Does your brand need a sprinkle of Sweeney?

• American Eagle partnered with the actress on a campaign called “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” that was targeted at Gen Z customers, which also included the launch of a custom pair of AE jeans.
• The stock immediately popped 12%, adding $200 million to the brand’s market cap — a big win for a retailer that’s seen its stock drop 32% over the past year as it navigates competition and economic uncertainty stemming from tariffs.
• Additionally, retail investors are now pouring cash into AE’s stock, boosting the brand to meme-stock territory (Krispy Kreme and GoPro are also in the current bunch).
• And earlier this year, Sweeney partnered with men’s personal-care brand Dr. Squatch on several headline-making campaigns. Within a few months, the brand was acquired by consumer-goods giant Unilever for $1.5 billion.

Final Tally: Unlike many of her contemporaries, Sweeney has never been coy about being a brand ambassador, working with brands as varied as Bai, Miu Miu, and Ford. In all the campaigns, she gamely plays on her public image. But, just like with content creators, authenticity remains at the forefront of who she chooses to work with. American Eagle called her up because she was spotted wearing the brand in campaigns for other non-fashion ads, and she linked up with Ford because she had been restoring a classic Bronco for years.

Madison Avenue truly has no better mascot.

Guidance: We wouldn’t be surprised if Forbes announces next year that Sweeney has become the highest-paid actress in advertising history.