Sydney Sweeney's Novig ad faces backlash over sexualised sports campaign

A new advertising campaign for the sports trading app has women in sports questioning its portrayal of the actress

Sydney Sweeney is facing criticism over a new advertising campaign for sports trading app Novig, with online users and women working in sports questioning its sexualised portrayal of the actress.

Sweeney partnered with Novig on Wednesday to promote the platform, which launched last month.

She also joined the company as a strategic partner and equity holder.

The campaign features Sweeney mostly naked, with sports balls and uniforms positioned over her body.

The advert has prompted criticism from sports professionals and social media users.

Marissa Womack, manager of game day promotions and programming for the Harrisburg Senators, questioned the campaign’s impact on women working in the industry.

“This [criticism] isn’t about me being jealous or insecure of [Sweeney]. … it’s about the fact that this is already a male-dominated field where we are constantly having to prove why we belong,” Womack said in a TikTok video.

She added that sexualised representation could discourage young women from pursuing careers in sports.

Another user criticised the advert, saying, “There is 0 reason to have somebody naked just saying sports over and over again. You can make amazing ads and content without constantly having women be sexualized.”

Sweeney defended the campaign, describing it as “about embracing a fun idea.” She said, “The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports.”