Sydney Sweeney is facing backlash online after stripping down for a new sports-themed advertising campaign. Watch the ad here.
The Euphoria actress has entered the sports-betting market with a new campaign for Novig, a sports prediction market. In the “Just Sports” ad, Sweeney appears completely nude while using sports equipment — including footballs, tennis racquets and shoulder pads — to strategically cover herself.
“Think you know sports? Prove it,” the 29-year-old says at the start of the campaign. “Novig is just sports. So they wanted to show just sports.”
The Syrn founder is then shown participating in different sports, including tennis and hockey, while repeating the word “sports” throughout the ad.
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Sydney Sweeney Slammed For 'Unnecessary' Racy Sports Ad
“You can trade this sport and this sport… sports, sports, sports,” she says. The campaign slowly ends with Sweeney balancing a soccer ball on a pair of cleats as she explains, “No betting on wars or deaths, and no politics.”
While Sweeney has previously appeared in provocative photoshoots and fashion campaigns, some social-media users questioned the decision to make nudity such a central part of the latest advertisement.
“This is what happens when your career focuses on the male gaze,” one person wrote on Instagram.
“When acting fails you, get naked,” another commenter said. “She’s stunning but this is so unnecessary,” a third person added, while another asked, “Why are we normalising this?!?”
Others took aim at Sweeney’s acting career, with one critic writing, “I hate to say it but I don’t think she has all that much acting talent. Probably the primary reason she gets these roles is just for her body. It’s sad but I feel that it’s the truth.”
“It really gets to a point where it’s just sad,” another person commented.
Another critic called the campaign “cheap and inappropriate,” adding, “We’ve been collectively over her. How is being naked relevant?”
“Out of all the ways she could promote this… she really chose this one?” someone else asked.
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Sydney Talks About Being Involved In Novig's New Sports Ad
Despite the backlash, Sweeney was involved in more than simply appearing in front of the camera. She said she had been part of the campaign’s creative process from the beginning and helped shape the project.
“Because I’ve been a part of the creative conversations from the very beginning,” Sweeney told Complex over the phone, “I had built an amazing relationship with everyone involved, and I was really excited to get to set.”
She also spoke about having familiar members of her team around during long working days.
“It can be kind of isolating when you’re away for that long,” Sweeney said. “So being able to have my entire glam team come down, and my team who I’ve been with for almost a decade—they’re like my family—it was really exciting to be able to see them again.”
Sweeney described the “Just Sports” campaign as “a very simple and playful idea” designed to bring Novig’s sports-focused concept to life. For the actress, being involved creatively was an important part of the partnership.
“I’ve always believed that the best partnerships are the ones where everyone’s getting to collaborate,” Sweeney explained. “I don’t like to just put my face on something. I really want to be able to get into the weeds of it with an amazing team.”
She added that she enjoyed getting to know the Novig team and said she believed in the company’s founder. “Being able to be a part of watching this company grow and not just be the face of it is really important to me,” Sydney said.
