Sydney Sweeney's controversial American Eagle ad has been hailed a "success"

However, American Eagle Outfitters' ex ecutive chairman and CEO Jay Schottenstein has brushed off the controversy and praised the impact of the ad.

In a statement alongside the company's second quarter financial results, he said: "The fall season is off to a positive start.

"Fuelled by stronger product offerings and the success of recent marketing campaigns with Sydney Sweeney and Travis Kelce, we have seen an uptick in customer awareness, engagement and comparable sales.

"We look forward to building on our progress and the continued strength of our iconic brands to drive higher profitability, long-term growth and shareholder value."

As detailed by WWD, the brand saw denim sellouts, as well as traffic growth in the double digits, plus boosts in new customers and engagement.

In the campaign video, the actress - who has blonde hair and blue eyes - says: "Genes that are passed from parent to offspring often determine traits such as hair colour, personality and even eye colour."

Sydney concluded the segment by looking into the camera and saying: "My jeans are blue."

American Eagle later issued a statement defending its campaign.

The company read: "We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone."

Meanwhile, this week Sydney launched a new collaboration with Jimmy Choo, which was shot before the American Eagle campaign.

Creative director Sandra Choi told WWD how important footwear is to an outfit.

She said: "I always think that the shoes finish an outfit, reveal personality and adjust the mood.

"For autumn the low loafer, Tylor, is important - smart, functional and fun when she is adorned with a drizzle of crystal fringes - just how Jimmy Choo does a loafer."