JurnalPost.com - Sydney Sweeney appeared nearly nude in an advertisement for Novig. She used balls and sports equipment to cover her body, repeatedly stating that Novig is “just sports.” The one-minute ad promotes a U.S.-based sports prediction and betting app released in early September 2026.
Within days, female athletes from various countries responded by uploading videos of their own training sessions and matches. According to ABC News, the ad has been viewed more than 33 million times on Instagram (Healy, 2026).
While this ad was not created for the Indonesian market, its mechanics are worth dissecting. The pattern of selling bodies is nothing new, and we can see how media consistently shapes our perception of women.
Sweeney pretends to play tennis, baseball, and golf, but the sports equipment is used merely to cover her body (Ortiz, 2026). The word “sports” is uttered nine times, yet what is being sold for consumption is not the game, but her body.
In one scene, Sweeney claims her body cannot be commodified and that she just looks good in it. John Berger (1972), as cited in research by Apriyulia et al. (2024), formulated this quite simply: men act, while women appear to be looked at.
Laura Mulvey (1975) explains how mainstream cinema turns women into spectacles rather than drivers of the narrative. Their presence often halts the plot because the camera is busy highlighting their bodies.
The issue is not merely that Sweeney appears sensual, but that the sports equipment is not used to showcase athletic skill. Sports, which should be the primary message, instead become a backdrop for the display of the body.
This gaze does not depend on the gender of the person behind the camera, but on how the image is constructed and for whom it is intended. The Novig ad arranges its visuals so that the audience enjoys the display rather than understanding the sport.
Research by Ihsanullah et al. (2020) on Pantene advertisements found a similar trend. The ads were praised for siding with women, yet the women within them remained objects of the gaze. Their skin must be bright, their bodies slim, and their smiles perfect.
Laura Mulvey explains how the gaze works, but not why the pattern continues to be produced. Marxist feminism helps answer this. This theory views the oppression of women not as the deliberate act of a single individual, but as a product of the political, social, and economic structures in which that individual lives (Tripalupi, 2024).
With this perspective, the question shifts to who benefits and what system makes such practices profitable.
The answer is visible in the chain of profit: bodies attract attention, attention brings in users, and users generate revenue.
Sweeney is not just a hired model, but a strategic partner and shareholder of Novig (Navlakha, 2026). Sweeney stated that the campaign was purely intended to focus attention on sports (Ortiz, 2026). Consequently, anyone who criticizes it risks being labeled as overly sensitive or emotional.
The system also seems immune to criticism. ABC News noted that the controversy surrounding Sweeney’s ad for American Eagle in 2025 actually caused the company’s stock to rise (Healy, 2026). As long as controversy generates profit, advertisers will continue to be driven to use similar strategies.
Criticism of this ad came from athletes with direct experience in the world of sports. British runner Amy Hunt, after a 200-meter race in Budapest, addressed Sweeney directly on BBC Sport, saying, “This is what women in sports look like” (Ortiz, 2026).
Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus called the ad a joke and questioned what is being taught to young people today (Healy, 2026). British athlete Lucy Davis also reminded the public that young girls are always watching (Ortiz, 2026).
The way they fought back is also interesting. They did not just complain on X, but spontaneously created short videos in the same format as the ad. The difference is that they showcased the bodies of women who are working hard, struggling, and sweating.
Sweeney responded by referencing the ESPN Body Issue, an edition that photographs athletes without clothing (Navlakha, 2026). However, this defense can be refuted because the athletic bodies displayed in the ESPN Body Issue are the result of years of hard work and training.
Meanwhile, the display of the body in the Novig ad shows no direct connection to athletic activity. The body instead becomes a lure to promote a betting app.
However, this criticism must also respect a woman's freedom to determine her own appearance. Rosalind Gill (2007) explains that modern media often frames the display of women's bodies as a form of choice and empowerment, so that criticism of it can sound patronizing.
Choices can indeed be evaluated, especially if their impact potentially harms other women. Boxer Skye Nicolson acknowledged that criticism actually gives the ad what it wants: public attention (Healy, 2026). Therefore, outrage must be accompanied by constructive input.
In my opinion, there are several steps that can be taken to address this issue.
First, for advertisers, try removing the element of highlighting the female body from the ad, then see if the promotional message remains intact. If the message is still conveyed, it means the display of the body was only used as bait to attract attention.
Second, involve female athletes from the ideation process, not after the ad is finished.
Third, for the advertising industry in Indonesia, the Indonesian Advertising Ethics (Etika Pariwara Indonesia) already contains rules regarding eroticism and the depiction of women (Indonesian Advertising Council, 2020). The challenge is how those rules are enforced before an ad goes viral, not after.
Fourth, as viewers, we must also have control over the content we consume and share. If possible, we need to be wiser in choosing what we share from now on.
Ultimately, sports do not need the spice of sensuality to sell. Sports already have their own stories, ranging from pre-dawn training, defeats, and injuries, to the struggle to rise again.
An ad that truly wants to sell sports is enough to tell those stories without having to make a nude body the main attraction.
(abimanyu)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Apriyulia, Adriati Ira, & Yanti Damayanti Nuning. (2024). Female Gaze Perspective in the Works of Modern Indonesian Artist, Emiria Soenassa. DIVAGATRA – Student Research Journal of Design, 6(1), 150–164.
Ihsanullah, A., Rahayu, S. E., & Edwar, V. E. (2020). Objectification Behind the Subjectification of Women in Pantene Ads: The Toughest Job Interview. Journal of Women and Family, 1(2), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.22146/jwk.1030
Tripalupi, M. F. (2024). Communication and Gender Textbook (R. E. Irawan, Ed.). Untag Surabaya Press.
NEWS REFERENCES
Healy, J. (2026, September 14). Sydney Sweeney's sport betting ad roasted by Olympians for sexualising women's sport. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-14/athletes-criticise-sydney-sweeney-sport-betting-ad/107149776
Indonesian Advertising Council. (2020). Indonesian Advertising Ethics. Jakarta: Indonesian Advertising Council.
Navlakha, M. (2026, September 14). Sydney Sweeney Hit With Furious Backlash from Stars Over Naked Ad. The Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/sydney-sweeney-hit-with-furious-backlash-from-stars-over-naked-ad
Ortiz, A. (2026, September 14). Female Athletes Call Out Sydney Sweeney’s Nude Ad: ‘Can’t Describe How Infuriated I Feel’. TheWrap. https://www.thewrap.com/culture-lifestyle/culture/sydney-sweeney-sports-betting-ad-female-athletes-respond-novig/
Comments 0
Write a Comment Share your response