The New Playbook of Outrage Marketing

In the past couple of days, two seemingly light-hearted ads lit up the internet - not with applause, but with outrage. American Eagle rolled out a campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney under this tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” At the same time, Dunkin’ featured actor Gavin Casalegno in a spot that cheekily referenced “genetics.” Both campaigns were banking on a playful pun: jeans vs. genes.

Stock market chaos

But the internet wasn’t laughing.

Critics quickly zeroed in, accusing both brands of subtly flirting with eugenics-adjacent language, particularly since both ads featured conventionally attractive white celebrities. The message - intended or not - seemed to link desirability to inherited traits, triggering discomfort about historical and social implications. What began as a wordplay quickly spiraled into a larger cultural flashpoint.

But here’s the twist: both campaigns won, at least in the short term. American Eagle’s stock price reportedly jumped nearly 10%, buoyed by the attention. Dunkin’ saw a surge in online chatter. Memes, hot takes, and debates spread like wildfire, far beyond the campaigns’ original target audiences.

And that, perhaps, was the point all along.

Outrage marketing - whether subtle or blatant - is increasingly part of the playbook. In a hyper-social media environment, a campaign doesn’t need to be universally loved to succeed. Sometimes, it just needs to be noticed. When critics and commentators start sharing and dissecting the content, they’re inadvertently amplifying the very message they oppose. In essence, outrage becomes free advertising.

Of course, this strategy walks a razor’s edge. For every brand that rides the wave successfully, there’s another that sinks under public backlash or alienates its core customers. Emotional manipulation, particularly when it targets youth or plays on identity and appearance, can do long-term damage - even if the immediate metrics look good.

Some brands are learning to tread more carefully. Take The Ordinary, for instance. Its viral “egg” campaign sparked curiosity and amusement without veering into controversy. It’s a gentler form of provocation - clever, unexpected, but not divisive.

What’s clear is that the old rules are shifting. As performative virtue-signalling loses steam and attention spans grow shorter, brands are hunting for new ways to stay in the spotlight. But outrage is a dangerous currency. It can buy attention quickly - but at what cost?

The real question for marketers isn’t just how loud your campaign can get - but how much of your brand’s integrity you’re willing to risk for the volume.