Levi's wants shoppers to “live in” more than just jeans.
On Monday, the brand announced a new campaign celebrating the 10th anniversary of its “Live in Levi's” tagline, which was first introduced in 2014. The 60-second spot will be distributed across a variety of formats including television, social media and streaming. – Home shows a group of friends sitting on the couch and watching TV. Naturally, everyone is wearing Levi's. When you get bored and switch the channel to her video, one of your inspired girls will jump up and start dancing. Her movement not only injects energy into her room, but also knocks over the coffee table after she jumps and lands on the ground. As the rest of the group rises to join her, the entire room begins to tilt as an original song by producer and DJ Kaytranada plays in the background.
The ad, called “The Floor is Yours,” ends with the screen panning out to show the scene playing on another TV screen, with two other bored people watching. One of them leans forward, her eyes shining. She jumps up and is about to do the same.
As part of the campaign, Levi's is holding a global casting call, asking shoppers to film their own videos recreating dance moves seen on the spot. Now is the right time for brands to make this call to consumers. Consumers want to be able to talk to them more directly in the future.
Levi's is in the middle of a transition period. The nearly 171-year-old company, one of the oldest continuously operating retail brands in the United States, is now on a mission to change not only how consumers think about Levi's, but also where they buy their products. I am in charge.
Last year, Levi's exposed the vulnerability of a brand that has historically relied on wholesale. In January, Levi's announced that it missed fourth-quarter revenue expectations and planned to cut its workforce by 10 to 15 percent.
Naturally, Levi's wants to refocus its direct-to-consumer business, both online and in stores. It currently accounts for 40 percent of sales, but he wants to increase that number to 55 percent by 2027. Levi's also wants shoppers to pick up Levi's not just for pants, but for tops, jackets, and more. While they shop for jeans, a $70 denim corset or a $198 denim trench coat. Mitchell said the aim is to get consumers to embrace the idea of ”dressing in denim” from head to toe.
“We want to tell a story around this idea of an unofficial uniform for progress,” said Levi's Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Mitchell, who joined the company in June 2023. , spoke about the inspiration behind the campaign, Levi's first major campaign. brand. “We talk about progress as a concept in this movement. It's about being a doer and taking action. Progress is not something that is given to bystanders.”
This campaign is one of the first steps in promoting that.
A new chapter for Levi's
But changing consumers' perceptions of a brand (what they buy, where they buy it) is easier said than done, especially for a brand with a rich history like Levi's. The brand's current challenge is to move Levi's forward without losing sight of this.
“Having this history and heritage is a huge benefit,” Mitchell said. “It's great to be able to play with our past and bring it into the future in a really creative way.”
This campaign aims to reflect the idea of bringing the past into the future. Mitchell said Levi's has a history of ties to music, being one of the first apparel brands to run ads on the radio, such as playing the Jefferson Airplane soundtrack, and countless others since then. Music has been used in many advertisements.
“Every choice we made creatively was guided by how Levi's really wants to position itself going forward as this modern denim lifestyle brand,” said Levi's Creative and Social Agency. said Erin Riley, CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day USA, a partner and distributor. Behind the scenes of the campaign.
If your goal is to deepen the connection between consumers and Levi's, a good first step is to prioritize your stores, says Allen Adamson, co-founder and CEO of marketing agency Metaforce. speaks.
There, shoppers can view the full Levi's selection and speak with employees who are brand experts.
“To fundamentally change the perception of brand image, you need to go directly to the consumer, because wholesalers don't have the skill set or the money to do that,” Adamson said. “This is a marathon, but they had to start in this direction.”
However, this type of purchasing pattern is difficult to change, so it is important to maintain a balance with wholesale. Consider Nike. Nike is currently facing a slowdown in momentum and sales after withdrawing wholesale partnerships.
In terms of getting people to think of Levi's as more than just bottoms, Mitchell will first focus on Levi's brand identity and apply that to a future marketing strategy that will highlight the brand's range of tops and jackets. Then he said. Just as previous campaigns have spotlighted classic pieces like the brand's Tracker jacket and 501 jeans, the upcoming ads will see him spotlight T-shirts and accessories. Become.
If it does well, Levi's could start to grow sales and expand the definition of the brand for consumers. Still, for a company synonymous with bottoms, it will be a tough climb to change the way people view them.
“The further you get from the core, the harder the challenge becomes,” said Bob Phibbs, CEO of consulting firm The Retail Doctor.
