The ridiculous campaign to cancel American Eagle Outfitters over the summer by the woke left/media over the company's very smart retro ad campaign featuring denim-clad actress Sydney Sweeney was just 50 shades of dumb, as explained by my RedState colleagues at the time.

For instance, my colleague Bonchie noted that "the idea that American Eagle is a racist company signaling its desire for white supremacist 'eugenics'" was one that went viral among the Very Online Left and corporate media outlets like the Washington Post, many of whom suggested there were "racial undertones" in the company's "great jeans" messaging.

Because Sweeney is curvy and the ads emphasized sexiness and buxom blondes, American Eagle was also predictably accused of promoting so-called "sexist tropes" by the perpetually outraged Usual Suspects.

The real issue for the company's critics, however, was that Sweeney's ads, where she embraced her curves with a smile and swagger, represented an unapologetic return to "embracing feminine sensuality in a non-woke fashion," as RedState's Brag Slager observed.

SEE ALSO (VIP): The Outrage Around Sydney Sweeney's Ad Is Unadulterated Racism

Fortunately, the company refused to bow to the cancel culture mob, something that paid off big time according to the latest data and a new Wall Street Journal interview with American Eagle's CEO, Jay Schottenstein, who explained how he took the "keep calm" approach with his marketing team in the face of public pressure from the left:

The chief executive of American Eagle Outfitters resisted pressure on social media to pull its provocative ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney — telling his charges to remain calm in the face of accusations that the brand was promoting racist and sexist tropes, according to a report.

In the weeks that followed, the campaign proved to be a hit — bringing in almost a million new customers to American Eagle between July and September, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Demand spiked for featured items: the Sweeney Cinched Waist denim jacket sold out in a day, and the Sydney Jean sold out in a week.   

RELATED: American Eagle Does the Unthinkable in Response to Sydney Sweeney Ad Campaign Freak-Out

A consumer branding company quoted by the WSJ pointed to American Eagle staying the course in part for the ad campaign's massive success:

Their stock also took a dramatic jump as sales skyrocketed:

American Eagle stock soared nearly 40% Thursday after the clothing chain credited a risqué Sydney Sweeney ad campaign with supercharging sales — even as the spots sparked outrage online and in Washington.

Executives told Wall Street analysts that the campaign featuring the “Euphoria” star — billed as “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” — drove record traffic and unprecedented new customer sign-ups.

In a quote that should be plastered in every Republican lawmaker's office in the country, Schottenstein told the WSJ that "You can’t run from fear."

American Eagle didn't run from fear. And the results speak for themselves.

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