Lee is reasserting its legacy as a American denim brand founded in 1889 with a new brand platform and global promoting campaign. The effort also marks the primary expression of a fresh creative vision meant to assist the brand forge a stronger reference to a new generation.
“Built Like Lee” celebrates Lee’s heritage, optimism and craftsmanship (the brand claims to be the primary to make use of a zipper in jeans within the Twenties). The campaign spans connected TV, social media, in-store, influencer partnerships and out-of-home events and is the primary effort produced by Lee alongside creative agency Yard. Beyond the denim itself, “Built Like Lee” spotlights the individuals who wear the pants — people the brand describes as future builders and go-getters.
“The iconic skylines, the world we live in now was built by people wearing Lee, and we desired to take that heritage and align it with the builders of today and the builders of tomorrow,” said Ruth Bernstein, CEO of Yard, of the Lee brand.
A 30-second spot soundtracked to a version of Mt. Joy’s “Come With Me” begins with the road: “Some chase perfection, others chase possibility.” A various solid is depicted on the go and wearing items just like the Lee Rider jacket and 101 jean, amongst others. The brand’s signature button — which has been stitched into its denim for over a century — is spotlighted throughout as a visible cue to togetherness.
“Where some see partitions the builder sees a window, where some see challenges the builder sees possibility — the script was really about embodying this and celebrating the mindset of the builder and welcoming everyone else to hitch,” Bernstein said.
Bringing heritage to the following generation
Lee’s brand platform and artistic vision were informed by in-depth consumer research, including a segmentation study to assist the corporate higher understand current fans of the brand and future-proof its marketing strategy for the following generation. Among the findings, the study revealed its core consumer to be someone searching for essentials and wanting to feel each comfortable and put together. They crave authenticity and trust from a brand.
The study also revealed a possibility segment, which the brand describes as a younger, “trendy sophisticate” consumer, said Brigid Stevens, Lee’s vice chairman of worldwide brand marketing. The exec described those shoppers as individuals with a classic style who may not wear the boldest, TikTok-viral fashions, but as an alternative want to define trends through their very own lens.
“I believe the campaign perfectly reflects that,” Stevens said. “Plenty of the styles and silhouettes you’ll see are ones that resonate with each of those consumer segments, but in addition have been a component of our brand for the last 100-plus years.”
Calling back to Lee’s past is vital to asserting its legacy, however the move was also inspired by younger consumers, a lot of whom are discovering iconic styles from the ‘90s and early aughts for the primary time through secondhand and vintage markets. As the brand looks to expand its reach, it’s necessary for its creative work to be reflective of society at large, Stevens said. “Built Like Lee” is predicted to be a multiyear platform.
“We are a brand that has been around for 135 years and will probably be around for the following 135 years, so we actually need this to be a brand that may be a reflection of our modern, diverse world so that buyers can see themselves in it,” she said.
Absent from its campaign is using celebrity talent, an intentional alternative as a part of Lee’s technique to focus more on the brand story and consumer that distinguishes it from the recent work of its competitors. Notably, ads and not using a celebrity performed higher in early testing, in keeping with Stevens, though the team hasn’t ruled out using celebrities in the long run.
“This spot needed to be about Lee — it needed to be about Lee and the consumers who wear our product,” Stevens said. “There’s numerous cultural relevancy putting a face to a brand, it creates excitement, but I believe our goal was expressing our new creative vision from a brand perspective and reintroducing this next generation of consumers to who Lee is.”
‘New places and spaces’
A digital-first media plan was intentional for “Built Like Lee” as a part of its efforts to achieve younger audiences. The campaign spans Peacock, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu and YouTube together with social platforms TikTok and Meta and audio platform Spotify. The effort, which debuted Sept. 15 across the U.S. and Europe and has since expanded to regions including Mexico and South America, can even include events in New York and Paris, the latter of which can bring together editors, tastemakers and influencers who embody the campaign’s ethos.
Lee’s effort comes on the heels of numerous other denim-focused campaigns from brands like Gap and American Eagle, the latter of which found itself embroiled in controversy for its tie-up with actress Sydney Sweeney. Amid a consumer shopping landscape that could be tumultuous, agency Yard worked to align closely with the correlation between Lee and its goal consumers, Bernstein explained. “Built Like Lee” was conceptualized and launched over the course of six months after Yard was awarded the Lee account in March.
“We were just leaning into what’s true about Lee and its natural connection. I believe that the work that was done around insights, each cultural and consumer, allowed us to essentially connect with builders,” Bernstein said. “It’s not there for provocation, it’s there more as an invite.”
Lee’s platform arrives because it looks to get better from revenue declines. The company reported global revenue of $166 million within the second quarter, a decrease of 6% 12 months over 12 months. Parent Kontoor Brands, which also owns Wrangler and outdoor clothing brand Helly Hansen, saw an 8% YoY revenue increase in the course of the same period and boosted its full-year outlook, crediting its multiyear Project Jeanius transformation initiative, which commenced last 12 months and is targeted on boosting profitability by simplifying processes and systems.
Beyond its latest campaign, Lee has poured resources into new products and collaborations. In August, the brand teamed with Crayola for a line of creative apparel nodding to each brands’ Americana heritage. In March, the corporate linked with Los Angeles-based retailer Buck Mason for a menswear collection of Forties vintage-inspired denim apparel. The same month, Lee also teamed with design company Paul Smith to reimagine the denim brand’s iconic styles.
The recent partnerships are strategic to Lee’s goals to align with like-minded brands that also embody an entrepreneurial spirit, Stevens explained. The efforts are also an indication of where the brand is heading because it attempts to grow loyalty with what it hopes will turn out to be the following generation of Lee loyalists.
“If you’re taking a look at where Lee showed up a 12 months ago, we’re showing up in new places and spaces where this new consumer goal is,” Stevens said. “The brand has really been evolving through the lens of the patron, which I believe is a real unlock.”
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