American actress Sydney Sweeney has posed naked in a new ad campaign for sports prediction market Novig, using sports equipment to protect her modesty.
The 28-year-old star of television series Euphoria and The White Lotus appears wearing barely a trace of clothing in the new commercial for Novig, a peer-to-peer sports trading platform. Standing naked and speaking in a seductive coo, Sweeney uses billiards equipment, footballs, and a soccer ball to shield her body while promoting the financial product.
In the opening moments of the commercial, Sweeney addresses the audience directly while holding sports gear. "Think you know sports? Prove it. Novig is just sports," she said.
The advertisement continues as Sweeney sits completely naked on top of a basketball hoop to deliver her next line. "So they wanted a show? Just sports," she tells the camera.
In another segment of the commercial, Sweeney wears only shoulder pads while placing a football over her nether regions. "You can trade this sport. And this sport," she adds while demonstrating with the equipment. She also models seductively with a soccer ball while wearing little more than athletic cleats, swings a tennis racket while dressed in underwear, and poses in a Novig jersey.
Throughout the photo shoot, Sweeney balances a basketball, football, tennis ball, and soccer ball across her body, clutching a tennis ball and racket strategically against her skin. "No betting on wars or deaths and no politics. Just you, your takes, and sports," she later continues in the commercial.
Fan reactions to the campaign
The revealing campaign immediately triggered a widespread reaction across social media platforms, with fans posting enthusiastic comments about the commercial.
"I just got into a car accident," one commenter joked in response to the advertisement.
Another social media user wrote, "She’s got the whole internet malfunctioning.. AGAINNNN."
Additional comments flooded in from viewers reacting to the racy images. "Greatest ad ever," one fan posted, while another commented, "We are at your feet sidney." A fifth viewer added, "Yeah I’m not skipping this ad."
Novig is a financial technology company operating as a sports prediction market, allowing users to trade positions on sporting events rather than traditional sports betting against a bookmaker.
Relationship with Scooter Braun
One person whose heart is certain to be racing after seeing the Novig advertisement is Sweeney's boyfriend Scooter Braun. The 43-year-old American music executive and entrepreneur has been dating the actress since last year.
When news of their romance first emerged, a source told Entertainment Tonight that the couple were maintaining a private approach to their relationship. "Sydney and Scooter are still seeing each other and trying to be as low-key as possible, while still dating and having fun... They are just taking things slow and enjoying their time together," the source said at the time.
By December, reporting confirmed that the relationship had developed further. "Scooter and Sydney are going strong and things between them are great. They’re in a committed relationship, and things are serious," a source told People magazine.
In January of this year, Sweeney spoke candidly to Cosmopolitan magazine about the public scrutiny surrounding her romantic life and dating as a celebrity in her twenties.
"Sometimes I’ll think that I can do a normal thing and have a date in a normal way, and then it gets perceived in a very non-normal way. It’s kind of sad," Sweeney told Cosmopolitan.
Addressing the challenges of going public with a romance, she explained her perspective as a rising star balancing her personal life and career ambitions.
"I understand that I’m a public person, but I’m still in my 20s. I’m still figuring out love, and it’s hard to do that with millions of people who have their own opinions of what that looks like," Sweeney said. "At the same time, for all of my 20s, I put my head down and focused on work, and now I want to experience things. But it’s hard deciding that I want to experience love in the public eye. I’m just navigating it all."
Braun also publicly praised Sweeney during an appearance on the Second Thought With Suzy Weis podcast in May. "I’ve met an extraordinary woman who is kind and generous and smart, and real and down to earth," Braun said of the actress.
Sweeney also made headlines recently at the Venice Film Festival in Italy, where she appeared in an array of white dresses, sparking public discussion regarding her future wedding and marriage plans.
Previous American Eagle advertisement controversy
The Novig sports campaign is the latest high-profile commercial deal secured by Sweeney, who has established herself as one of Hollywood's most sought-after brand ambassadors. However, her previous advertising work has not been without public debate.
Last year, Sweeney found herself at the centre of controversy after starring in an advertising campaign for American Eagle Outfitters. The campaign featured the promotional tagline "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," playing on the homophone between denim jeans and biological genes.
The phrase and Sweeney’s blonde appearance triggered intense online debate when the advertisement launched in July. Critics online accused the fashion retailer of promoting eugenics and white supremacy, with some commentators even comparing the commercial campaign to Nazi propaganda.
Speaking in an interview with People magazine, the Euphoria actress reflected on the backlash and explained why she felt remaining silent had proven counterproductive.
"I was honestly surprised by the reaction," Sweeney told People. "I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign."
She further addressed the assumptions made by critics on social media platforms following the release of the clothing advertisement. "Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true," Sweeney added during the interview.
American Eagle Outfitters strongly rejected the online criticisms and defended the intention behind the commercial imagery. In a statement published to Instagram on August 1, the clothing company clarified the message of the promotion.
"'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans," American Eagle stated in the social media post. "Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone."
