Sydney Sweeney ad sparked online backlash. Novig’s visibility exploded.

Sydney Sweeney briefly lost hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram after starring in a Novig ad campaign. For the little-known prediction market the actress advertised, however, the controversy delivered something valuable: attention.

The "Euphoria” actress appeared mostly nude and covered her body with sporting equipment, such as footballs and a basketball hoop, in the Sept. 9 ad. The full 58-second spot has been viewed over 60 million times on Instagram, while versions on YouTube have millions of views themselves.

The ad has been criticized by athletes, including former UCLA gymnast Gracie Kramer and four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus, who commented on Instagram that it was an “absolute joke." Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham called it “unauthentic” on her “No Hesitation” podcast.

It's not the first time a Sweeney ad campaign has been embroiled in scandal. Last July, her ads for American Eagle also faced backlash.

Online furor over Novig’s ad picked up steam by Sept. 12, and Sweeney lost 137,000 followers Sept. 13 and another 66,000 Sept. 14, per social media analytics website Social Blade. At the end of the week, however, she gained all those followers back and then some. By Sept. 19, her account eclipsed 26…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/