Sydney Sweeney isn’t backing down from the backlash over her Novig campaign. On Sunday, September 13, the actress posted nude images from her Novig photoshoot to her Instagram Stories, then followed up with clothes-free ESPN Body Issue covers of athletes including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey and Sue Bird. She offered no caption and no explanation, just the photos and the comparison.
The Novig campaign launched earlier this month, with Sweeney posing naked alongside sports equipment. Critics online argued the ads were inappropriate and set women back a hundred years. Sweeney, who serves as a strategic partner and equity holder for Novig, has not addressed the controversy directly. The company described the concept simply: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports.
Sweeney has been candid for years about embracing her body despite criticism, saying a woman’s body is beyond empowering and beautiful and sexy and all the things. Her Sunday posts seemed to make that point without a single word. Whatever you think of the campaign, the conversation about who gets celebrated for posing and who gets shamed isn’t going anywhere. So we want to hear from you: do you think there’s a double standard in how we talk about women’s bodies in advertising?
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
