Sydney Sweeney isn’t backing down. On Sunday, September 13, she posted nude images from her Novig photoshoot to Instagram Stories, then followed them with ESPN Body Issue covers of Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, and Megan Rapinoe. The move came days after her Novig ad campaign, which features her naked with sports equipment, drew criticism online.
The timing is hard to miss. Critics called the campaign inappropriate and said it set women back decades, but the ESPN Body Issue has spent years celebrating elite athletes in exactly that style. By stacking those covers next to her own shoot, Sweeney appears to be asking why one is iconic and the other is a problem. She still hasn’t addressed the controversy directly, and honestly, she doesn’t need to. The photos are the statement.
It helps that Sweeney has skin in the game. She’s a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig, and she’s been vocal for years about embracing her body no matter what people say. Whether the campaign lands for you or not, the conversation about who gets to be confident in sports marketing is very much alive.
So where do you land: was the Novig campaign a step forward, or did it miss the mark? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.