When Levi’s launched its “Live in Levi’s” brand platform back in 2014, it focused on the moments consumers spend of their jeans and keyed in on themes of self-expression and individualism. In the years since, those themes have develop into de rigueur for retail and fashion brands, from Gap and Coach to Vans and Keds, giving Levi’s a possibility to chart a distinct path.
That journey begins today (March 25) as Levi’s marks the tenth anniversary of “Live in Levi’s” with a new campaign titled “The Floor Is Yours” that’s centered around the thought of the brand because the “unofficial uniform” for progress. The effort is the first work from new creative and social agency of record TBWAChiatDay.
“It was essential for us that the strategy, this notion of the unofficial uniform of doers and folks for progress, was rooted in authenticity, but additionally distinct and differentiated,” said Erin Riley, U.S. CEO of TBWAChiatDay. “We talked loads about self-expression and authenticity — things that you just encounter on this category — being actually things that Levi’s allows people to do, but possibly not something that is difficult the convention or is totally distinct.”
With that in mind, the guts of “The Floor Is Yours” is an anthem spot that imagines progress as movement in pursuit of something higher. In the 60-second clip, a gaggle of friends lounge about until one is inspired to bop, compelling to rest to hitch her because the room moves and morphs under their feet. By the spot’s end, the camera pulls back to disclose that the crew is now on the TV — the uninspired have develop into the inspiration for one more group of Levi’s-clad consumers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SCQ2buJcwc
“We use dance as a metaphor for movement, and the enemy of movement and taking motion is stagnation, disengagement and being a spectator. We really need to rejoice and encourage folks to maneuver and take motion, because that’s the behavior of parents which can be driving progress,” said Kenny Mitchell, Levi’s global chief marketing officer. “Being a spectator isn’t what Levi’s is about, it is not what our fans are about.”
Mitchell joined Levi’s in June 2023 after stints as a marketer for Snap, McDonald’s and Gatorade. Among his first orders of business at what he calls a “dream job” was finding the best creative partner to assist write the subsequent chapter of an iconic brand. Levi’s landed on ChiatDay, which took over from Droga5 in September 2023.
“Levi’s is such an iconic and universal brand,” said Riley, who was promoted to U.S. CEO of the agency in November. “At the identical time, it is a brand that does profit from what we do, which is storytelling, shaping perception and the flexibility to take a brand that has a powerful legacy and past, [and] really be sure that it’s unmistakably in the longer term and feels modern.”
The floor — and the pen — belong to consumers
To reinforce the campaign’s theme of movement, Levi’s and the ChiatDay team worked with forward-thinking figures to assist put the brand at the middle of popular culture. Omar Jones has directed music videos for leading hip-hop figures; Sherrie Silver choreographed the Grammy Award-winning video for Childish Gambino’s “This Is America;” and South African stylist Bee Diamondhead works as a creative strategist, fashion editor and brand consultant.
“We desired to have a really strong vibe within the spot,” Riley said. “[Vibe] might not be essentially the most precise marketing term, but it surely’s one which we predict is so essential for these brands and really only involves life when the brand itself has a transparent design and lifestyle standpoint.”
Music is vital to the campaign and video, which is about to a forthcoming track, “Drip Sweat,” by trendsetting dance music figures Kaytranada and Channel Tres. For the campaign’s next step, Levi’s will open a world casting call, asking consumers to make use of Silver’s choreography and submit their auditions via Instagram or an internet portal. Select participants will likely be brought together to film a long-form video for “Drip Sweat,” which will likely be released in late spring or early summer.
“Being a spectator isn’t what Levi’s is about, it’s not what our fans are about.”
Kenny Mitchell
Global CMO, Levi’s
“Passing the pen,” as Mitchell describes it, was essential for the campaign, and allowed ChiatDay to flex the muscles of every part it does well, from brand strategy and storytelling to production and communications planning, Riley said.
“The way the campaign is architected, once you do something that is all about doing and movement, you may’t depend on only broadcast,” the agency exec said. “It needed to be participatory, it needed to be interactive, we needed to do things the brand hadn’t done before.”
To help amplify the campaign, Levi’s will utilize creators and influencers that share the identical mindset around driving progress and movement. While dance has been a consistent thread in its marketing, including a well-received 2017 spot titled “Circles,” the way in which that Levi’s is utilizing social media and creators wouldn’t have been possible previously.
“We’re staying very true to the brand, but actually putting on a contemporary twist and [adding] connective tissue that would not have happened 10 years ago,” Mitchell said. “It still feels very grounded in what the brand is and what our fans do and imagine, using what has existed for the brand but additionally moving things forward for 2024.”
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