By Shruthi Dharshan
Actress Sydney Sweeney is under scrutiny for her appearance in an ad for the sports prediction platform Novig. The commercial, which was released on Sept. 9, was criticized for sexualizing women and putting them in a place where their athletic accomplishments were undermined. News about this ad has spread quickly across multiple social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, where female athletes have begun posting videos showcasing their talents and proving that women in sports are capable of more than they’re credited for.
The ad titled “Just Sports” features Sydney Sweeney acting in various scenes using sports equipment such as basketballs and footballs. Throughout the commercial, she is speaking in a sexual tone and handling the equipment in a provocative manner. Many viewers believed the advertisement capitalized on Sweeney’s appearance rather than the actual company. Critics questioned who the target audience was and why a sports company chose to produce such an explicit ad that seemingly had nothing to do with athletes.
This gained even more attention when professional female athletes began giving their feedback. American gymnast Gracie Kramer posted a video of herself performing complicated gymnastics tricks with the caption, “idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.” Her outspoken video has sparked a new trend as other athletes are sharing videos of the hard work needed to excel in their respective sports, with a similar caption. These posts were the foundation of a larger conversation about how women are represented in sports advertising, and how women are strategically used to gain attention.
The debate continued into October when Novig released another advertisement featuring Sydney. The second commercial used a similar approach, showing that Novig was willing to take the negative publicity and continue using this marketing strategy.
Australian Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus expressed her disappointment in this representation of female athletes, arguing that it diminishes the progress women have made in sports. British sprinter Amy Hunt also highlighted the sacrifices she and other female athletes have made to play at a professional level. Their responses underscore concerns that ads like these bring back old stereotypes that have set women back years, in terms of gender equality.
This controversy has opened a bigger conversation about the portrayal of women in advertising. The reaction to Sydney Sweeney’s ad shows how people rely on social media to challenge controversial thoughts. Although it was heavily criticized, it seemed to bring female athletes together and create a sense of unity between them. It reignited the discussion of female activism and has made people think about how these stereotypes harm women all over the world.