Marketing the Levi's Way

Levi's Originals support Indian artists in Karachi

2011-06-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

KARACHI:

Following the corporate/artist sponsorship model that has proven effective with Coke Studio, on May 30 Levis Pakistan debuted Zoe Viccaji’s acapella interpretation of the Strings hit, “Bichara Yaar”, on CityFM’s Breakfast Show.
“Levis Originals: Inspire is about how Strings are the originals and Zoe and Bilal are inspired by the originals,” said Adnan Malik, creator and executive producer of the campaign. “Levis wanted a twist on a photoshoot with Strings, but I thought they should give the stars of tomorrow a platform. The mainstream artists have done so many campaigns already, why do we want to keep seeing the same people?”

In the case of Coke Studio, promoting independent artists has translated to direct market gain. In recent years, Pakistan has become entrenched among Coca Cola’s 15 fastest-growing global markets. And for Pakistani artists who can’t access the-incidentally, dying-giant labels of the west, it’s a viable means of funding and distribution.

“Music is something I do for me, whether or not I make money out of it,” said Bilal Khan, 24, a veteran of Coke Studio and another Levis artist. “Levis is a cool brand, I wear it anyway. So I’m promoting something I believe in. Really this is just another way for me to make music.”
Levis’s one year agreement with Viccaji and Khan grants the company promotional rights not only to the songs produced for the campaign, but to the use of artists’ images and bios. To that end, they agree to appear at specific events in a Levis-funded, Levis-branded wardrobe. But Viccaji, 27, is happy with the partnership because it offers her “complete artistic freedom, the access to recording equipment beyond a home studio” and she hopes, a stepping stone from which to launch her career. “It’s a win-win situation,” she said.

Whenever Viccaji records a new song, she has qualms about sharing it, even with friends. “There’s a sense of vulnerability, because you know someone’s going to find some issue with it. But with ‘Bichara Yaar’, no one has had anything bad to say about it. Maybe that’s because acapella is such an anomaly in Pakistan that people are too mystified to criticise it. Or maybe that’s because it’s actually good.”
Malik directed the video for “Bichara Yaar”, which was shot in the same abandoned factory used for the print campaign photos. “The energy of the old factory worked with the loneliness of the song and the idea of a past life. It’s a bit existentialist, thinking of how we’re alone in life and in death,” he said.

The video was released on YouTube and promoted on Facebook, ironically echoing the grassroots marketing and distribution methods Viccaji would have used without corporate sponsorship. Both Viccaji and Khan worked in advertising before quitting their day jobs to concentrate on music.

“I really wanted to show the process of acapella from a visual standpoint,” said Malik. “I don’t think that’s been done before in Pakistan, at least not in a music video element. There’s this idea of layers that began to haunt me. I kept imagining Zoe alone in a dark space, as if she was looking for something. Then suddenly there’d be four or five of her, as if she’s keeping herself company.”

The nuts and bolts of the campaign are nebulous and erratic for corporate marketing. In fact, Malik was originally approached to model for Levis. From this inauspicious opening, Malik sold Levis on a new marketing concept, and then convinced them to put him in charge.

But the ambience of The Originals: Inspire campaign parallels the global brand that Levis projects, falling in line behind the likes of last year’s “Go Forth” campaign, which drew heavily on the words of Walt Whitman, the “father of American poetry”, and the idea of Levis-the-pioneer, the first makers of blue jeans. Now Levis is promoting the pioneering musicians of Pakistan. Internationally acclaimed Strings have been together in some form for 23 years, and Bilal Khan is a new pioneer of the online era, spearheading his career with the help of YouTube and a video camera.

“I recorded the first version of ‘Bachana’ in my bedroom, and posted it on YouTube,” Khan said. “When it had 100,000 hits, I realised I needed to make a proper music video. The new version has over a million hits.” Khan plans to self-release his first album next month. As for Khan for Levis, his Strings interpretation is being kept under wraps, but it will be released June 10 on CityFM.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2011.

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Marketing the Levi's way

2011-05-25T08:20:00.001-07:00

Jeans are 138 Years old today

2011-05-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Happy 138th, Blue Jeans!

NEW YORK, May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue jeans, the ubiquitous cotton denim trouser, is 138-years-young today. On May 20, 1873, Levi Strauss and Nevada tailor Jacob Davis were granted U.S. Patent Number 139,121 for their use of rivets to add strength to denim workpants. Over a century later, blue jeans continue to rivet consumers and designers around the world. Today, U.S. consumers own an average of 7 pairs of denim jeans, according the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ survey, and the appeal of denim jeans shows no signs of going out of vogue.

What began as workwear during the California gold Rush has evolved into a workhorse for the apparel industry; with current price points ranging from around $10.00, to upwards of $10,000.00 for a pair of custom-designed denim jeans. The 2011 global denim industry is an estimated $54 billion at retail, with demand growing steadily at 5% to 6%, according to a report by the ATA Journal for Asia on Textiles and Apparel.

Responses to the Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor survey show that consumers are true-blue in their dedication to denim. "According to responses to our most recent survey, over three-quarters of consumers love or enjoy wearing denim," says Melissa Bastos, Manager, Market Research at Cotton Incorporated. "For women 13-to-34, that number jumps to 81%," she adds.
Additional statistics on denim and a range of other consumer and industry categories can be found at www.cottonlifestylemonitor.com

HIGHLIGHTS OF DENIM'S FASHION EVOLUTION:

1930s

Work, war and film were influential in shaping the shape of women's trouser-wearing. In the 1939 film, The Women, Manhattan socialites visit a dude ranch, in full, high-waisted, stiff-denimed dungarees. Vogue and Mademoiselle both deemed denim appropriate for dude ranching and Levi's had already jumped onto the trend with their short-lived Lady Levi's line in 1935. But jeans were less a fashion statement and more a costume of Western color.

1940s

During World War II, Rosie the Riveter was an icon representing women who took up the labor slack while men were fighting overseas. In 1943, a then-unknown model named Betty Bacall modeled Rosie's signature denim coveralls on the cover of Harper's Bazaar.Perhaps influenced by Rosie, Wellesley College students felt the freedom to wear blue jeans on campus in 1944. But, then a "scandalous" photo of denim clad Wellesley Girls appeared in an issue of Life magazine. Dubbed "the sloppy look," it created a national stir and set ladies jeans-wearing back a good decade.

1950s

In 1954, Grace Kelly reclined on a sofa in Hitchcock's "Rear Window," wearing a pair of jeans and reading an attire-appropriate book about traveling in the Himalayas. As Jimmy Stewart dozes off, Kelly discards the book and switches to the latest issue of Bazaar, making a silent but powerful connection between fashion and denim.

Thanks to "The Wild One" (1953) and "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955), a pervasive association with blue jeans and juvenile delinquency had entered the public consciousness. Thanks James Dean and Marlon Brando! So widespread was the detrimental denim mindset, that the Denim Council was formed in 1956 to combat declining sales.

1960s
Denim pants are dubbed "jeans" by the Baby Boomer generation. The name has its origins in the French phrase bleu de Genes (literally, "blue of Genoa"), and harks back to the first known uses of denim pants – as a uniform for Genoese sailors.
In 1961, the Denim Council's efforts paid off with a major public relations coup: the newly-formed Peace Corps allowed its first 200 volunteers to wear jeans. This ushered in a new era across the board. It was a brave new world of positive revolution, rock-and-roll and, to bring the topic full circle, women's rights.
1970s
When Vogue featured blue jeans on their cover in the early 1970s, denim received its official sartorial sanction.
1980s
In 1988, as Anna Wintour picked up the reins as Editor of Vogue, her very first cover featured a young model wearing a $10,000 Christian Lacroix shirt matched with a pair of Guess (?) blue jeans. The message conveyed was that jeans can hold their own in the world of high fashion.

SOURCE Cotton Incorporated

Ann Rohosy is new VP and President of Docker' brand

2011-05-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

Levi Strauss & Co has promoted Anne Rohosy as executive vice president and president of its global Dockers brand, tasking her with all product, marketing and business operations.She reports to Levi Strauss president and CEO John Anderson, and moves into the role after two years as a senior vice president, overseeing Levi's brand commercial wholesale operations in the Americas. Prior to joining the San Francisco based company she spent 15 years with Nike.
"With more than 20 years of US and international retail experience, Anne has the leadership and strategic expertise to drive Dockers forward and continue the brand's momentum in revitalising the khaki category," Anderson said."Anne is well-known in the retail industry for her strong business sense and tremendous relationships with retailers, making her the ideal choice to lead the Dockers brand during this exciting time." Dockers products are sold in more than 50 countries around the world across a variety of stores, ranging from Macy's and Kohl's to Barney's and Urban Outfitters.

Levi's Healthcare line

2011-05-12T05:23:00.000-07:00

The link that follows will take you to some very professional student work which promotes the idea and branding for a healthcare line for men with the Levi's flair.

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2011/5/12/student-spotlight-levis-strauss-co-mens-healthcare-line.html

Levi's Makes it terms of engagement with its supply chain specific

2011-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

Levi's involved in first paperless coupon

2011-05-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

Platform SCVNGR has teamed up with American Express and Levi’s to create the first paperless daily deal redemption system. If you’ve ever purchased a Groupon or LivingSocial daily deal, you’ve probably gone through the awkward process of redeeming your coupon. You have to print out the daily deal, remember to bring the printout with you and give it to the cashier, who may or may not be trained on how to redeem it. Plus, pulling out a coupon isn’t necessarily something you want to do on a date.

SCVNGR and American Express believe that they have found the solution. Starting today, SCVNGR’s daily deal platform LevelUp now features an option to sync your LevelUp account to your AmEx card. Once synced, all you need to do to redeem the daily deals you purchase through LevelUp is swipe your card. There’s no need to bring a coupon with you. You don’t even have to tell the cashier that you bought a daily deal coupon. AmEx automatically tracks and credits your deal. AmEx Vice President of Gobal Marketing Capabilities David Wolf says the LevelUp integration is powered by AmEx’s Smart Offer Engine, the same platform that powered Foursquare’s “spend $5, save $5″ pilot program at SXSW.

AmEx links to LevelUp’s APIs so that you don’t have to think about redeeming your daily deal. It’s automatically done for you when you swipe your card at the store.The pilot program launches today in San Francisco with Levi’s. Users that purchase daily deals from Levi’s through LevelUp will automatically get their discounts when they use their AmEx card at the Levi’s store in Union Square.

LevelUp differs from Groupon, LivingSocial and other daily deal sites through its use of game mechanics to increase customer loyalty. Every time you purchase and use a daily deal on LevelUp, you have the option to buy another daily deal from the same brand. In the case of Levi’s, level one gets you $10 of merchandise for $20, level two gets you $10 of merchandise for $30 and level three gets you $10 of merchandise for $50.

Doug Sweeny Leaves Levis

2011-05-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Doug Sweeny is departing his post as VP-global marketing at Levi Strauss & Co. to become president of WPP-owned agency Y&R's West Coast operations. Mr. Sweeny will oversee the network's San Francisco and Irvine offices in tandem with Y&R West's new chief creative officer, Joe Kayser.

Doug Sweeny The move marks a return for Mr. Sweeny to the agency world, and a reunion for him and Mr. Kayser, who were previously partners at Omnicom Group's TBWA/Chiat/Day in San Francisco. There they ran the global business for Adidas. Previously, he was an account director working on Saturn at Publicis Groupe's Hal Riney in San Francisco. "We had a great partnership, and we worked well together and complemented each other really well," Mr. Sweeny said of working with Mr. Kayser. He attributes the opportunity to work with him again and improvements in Y&R's creative product as his reasons for making the jump from Levi's.

For the past four years, Mr. Sweeny helped lead global marketing for the retailer, where he was behind the global "Go Forth" campaign. He plans to wrap up at Levi's, which spends an estimated $100 million globally on advertising, within the next couple of weeks and start at Y&R in early June. Mr. Sweeny replaces John Berg, who departed his post as Y&R West president in March. "The very first conversation Joe and I had about who would be a suitable partner for our West Coast business ... he mentioned Doug, and I had Doug at the top of my list as well," said Tom Sebok, president-CEO of Y&R North America.

The installation of new management in the office is part of a goal to elevate Y&R's presence on the West Coast. "Overall our agency needs a far greater degree of visibility than it has today," Mr. Sebok said. Clients handled by that office include Chevron, Mattel, Jenny Craig Disney, and Citrix. More broadly, the agency network -- which has been suffering the loss of a slew of clients in the agency's New York office -- has been making management changes, like bringing in new CEO David Sable and New York Chief Creative Officer Jim Elliott from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

Levi's didn't immediately return a request for comment about Mr. Sweeny's departure. The marketer is going through changes of its own, including the launch of its first global ad campaign later this year, and a restructuring of its marketing operation that has brought on new new Global Chief Marketing Officer Rebecca Van Dyck. It remains to be seen whether the arrival of Ms. Van Dyck and the departure of Ms. Sweeny will have any affect on Levi's agency relationships, which include Wieden & Kennedy and OMD leading global creative and media respectively.

TED talk sponsored by Levis

2011-05-04T11:10:00.001-07:00

Levi's and the Like button

2011-05-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

Facebook's 'Like' button becomes force in e-commerce

By Mike mailto:Swift-mswift@mercurynews.com

Whether you just bought an airline ticket or a pair of jeans online, chances are an Internet search preceded the transaction. Now Facebook hopes to make its vast web of online social connections another central ingredient in the complicated dance between retailer and consumer.
One year after Facebook began distributing its "Like" button to millions of websites -- an average of 10,000 additional websites a day add the button or other Facebook tools -- the Palo Alto social network says it is becoming a force in online commerce. Facebook points to partnerships with companies like Levi's, which has a Facebook Like button positioned next to every article of clothing on Levi.com, and Ticketmaster, whose website includes a Facebook app that lets people see whether their friends have already bought a ticket to concerts they are interested in attending.

Just as people have always talked to their friends before making a significant purchase, "your mode of discovery online is starting to look more like your mode of discovery offline," said Dan Rose, a former Amazon.com executive who is vice president of partnerships and platform marketing at Facebook.

Facebook and Ticketmaster say that when the ticket retailers' customers post a specific event they are attending or might attend to their friends' Facebook News Feed, it generates $5.30 of direct ticket sales.

Meanwhile, a forthcoming report from Harris Interactive and CityGrid Media will say that the Like button is already trumping reviews on websites such as Yelp as the primary way that people show support for businesses online.Facebook took another major e-commerce step Tuesday when it rolled out a trial "Deals" service in the Bay Area and four other U.S. cities to compete with Groupon and other online discount deal websites. The Like button is a prominent feature.

Still, some skeptics say the Like button won't ever become the mainstay of e-commerce that search is. A recent survey of online retailers by the market research firm Forrester found that 59 percent said the returns from social marketing remain unclear, while just 28 percent said social marketing strategies had helped their business grow.
"The problem is the fundamental flaw of this whole expectation. People think that shopping is social, because teenagers go to the mall in groups," said Sucharita Mulpuru, the Forrester analyst who wrote the recent skeptical report about Facebook's future in e-commerce. "But most shopping is not social. People don't go to Walmart in groups. They don't go to the grocery store in groups."

While Mulpuru says there are niches where Facebook can become a major force in e-commerce -- ticketing for example, because concerts, baseball games and other events are inherently social -- those successes will be the exception rather than the rule.

Facebook, she said, has already had enough time to prove its assertion that it will someday produce a Zynga of retail, referring to the San Francisco social game-maker that grew into a multibillion-dollar company through its association with the social network.
"At some point, you've got to show people the money," Mulpuru said.

Facebook and its partners counter that consumers who arrive on the websites of retailers, media sites and other Facebook partners are more deeply engaged. For example, people clicking on clothing retailer American Eagle from Facebook spent an average 57 percent more money than people who arrived on the website through other means, such as a Google (GOOG) search, while Rose said people who arrive on newspaper and other media websites via a link shared on Facebook are more likely to read to the end of an article.

Facebook celebrated the first anniversary of its distribution of the Like button to other websites on April 21. Facebook declined to update an earlier count of 2.5 million websites using the Like button and other social applications, such as the ability to login to a website using Facebook credentials. But an average of 10,000 websites a day in the past year connecting to Facebook would mean the Like button and other Facebook tools are now on more than 3.5 million websites.

Mulpuru says that for most retailers, Facebook will be most important in making consumers more aware of a brand, rather than driving actual sales, and some retailers, including Levi's, say that is how they are using Facebook at this point.

"We really feel like it is attracting a new consumer to Levi.com," particularly younger and more "fashion-forward" consumers, said Megan O'Connor, director of digital and social marketing for Levi's. For example, the company's new "Ex-Girlfriend Jeans" -- super skinny jeans for men -- got 4,000 Facebook likes on the first day the jeans went on sale.

"We believe it will drive sales, " O'Connor said of the Like button. "We are really looking at it as a way for consumers to interact with the brand, to tell their friends about the brand, and really get the word out about what Levi's is passionate about."

Contact Mike Swift at 408-271-3648. Follow him at Twitter.com/swiftstories.

Kate Middleton and the Levi's guy

2011-04-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

“He wishes. No, I had the Levi's guy on my wall, not a picture of William, sorry.”—Kate Middleton, when asked if she had posters of William on her wall when she was growing up.

Street Artists to design Levi's Trucker jackets

2011-04-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Shepard Fairey’s OBEY Giant on a wall or street sign are everywhere in Providence. Soon, the iconic street artist’s work will be featured on a Levi’s Trucker Jacket as part of the Art in the Streets exhibition at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA).

Ten of America's most important and influential street artists were chosen to design limited-edition trucker jackets, with one from each artist being released every two weeks from April 17 to August 6 based on the chronological order in which the artists began posting (with three coming out in the first week). Each jacket will come packaged in a special commemorative box with the artist’s unique “tag” on it. RISD graduate Fairey’s jacket, Dark Summit Trucker, will go on sale on July 2.

"The uniform of graffiti and street artists"

"Our Trucker Jacket has been an integral part of the uniform of graffiti and street artists for generations," said Robert Hanson, Levi's Brand Global President. "This collaborative project is a special way to celebrate the Trucker Jacket's intrinsic tie to the street art community and culture, as well as MOCA's longstanding leadership in the art world."
All proceeds from sales of the jackets will go towards MOCA and the community programs that it supports. Unfortunately, the jackets will only be sold at MOCA in LA, but savvy Rhode Island shoppers (and Fairey collectors) might consider hopping a cheap flight out west to scoop one up.

Levi's New York Photo Workshop

2011-04-27T08:37:00.001-07:00

Levi Strauss 2010 Annual report

2011-04-25T07:55:00.001-07:00

http://www.levistrauss.com/lsco/ar2010/

Levi Stauss 2010 Annual Report can be found at the above link.

The Levi's Film workshop in LA

2011-04-20T06:43:00.001-07:00

Levi's has Eva jeans for South Africa

2011-04-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Levi's® Slight Curve jeans are designed to celebrate straight figures while the new Demi Curve best suits the even proportioned figure. The Bold Curve is designed to honour genuine curves and in addition, exclusively to South Africa, the Levi's® Eva jeans - inspired by local fit trials for jeans which address unique South African curves.

To promote this revolutionary approach, Levi's® and partner agencies King James, Dare Media and Primall Media introduce the Curve ID campaign to South Africa as part of the Levi's® Global Women's Initiative. Primall's Digital Ad Screens will continue creating awareness around the Curve ID range in 17 of the county's blue chip malls where Primall holds advertising rights. According to Primall, the campaign is aimed at gaining exposure to women aged 16 to 24 years of age in the LSM 7 - 10 categories.

Primall's Executive Head of Sales and Marketing, Lee Curtis, says, "On the back of the renewal, it's clear that our Digital Ad Screens have increased awareness for the range. It's a natural fit for Levi to promote their campaign in an environment where women spend their time on money and fashion."

Levis and Opening Ceremony

2011-04-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Opening Ceremony?

The American fashion label, created by best-friends-since-college Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, has been featured in magazines such as Vogue and People. The pair designs clothes — often in collaboration with other famous people and labels, including Chloë Sevigny, Repetto, agnés b., Pendleton and Rodarte — that they sell in their Opening Ceremony stores in New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo.
“Every collaboration always started off with a personal experience or story,” says Ms. Lim. “We decided to do something with Levi’s because it’s hard to be American and not have a pair of vintage Levi’s jeans.” Their spring collection of “Levi’s for OC” pays homage to the chambray fabric.

Levi Strauss price cuts lead to lower first-quarter profit

2011-04-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

The retailer reported earning $40.7 million in the quarter that ended Feb. 27, down 28% from a year earlier, after slashing prices on its jeans and Dockers khaki pants.

Levi Strauss & Co. reported a lower quarterly profit after cutting prices on its Dockers khaki pants and Levi's jeans to spur sales.Shoppers' resistance to paying full price comes at a time when Levi Strauss and rivals such as Guess Inc. are trying to pass on high cotton costs to customers.

"You're not going to see dramatically lower cotton prices in the next six to 12 months," Chief Financial Officer Blake Jorgensen said. Jorgensen said rising gasoline prices are also feeding consumer resistance, particularly for shoppers with modest incomes.The private company said that first-quarter net income was $40.7 million, down 28% from $56.4 million a year earlier.Gross margin was down 1.7 percentage points to 49.8% of revenue during the holiday quarter on more discounting that Jorgensen attributed to the need "to be fairly aggressive" in generating sales and clearing inventory to make room for spring merchandise.

Levi said it also faces more cautious ordering from department store chains such as Macy's Inc., J.C. Penney Co. and Kohl's Corp., echoing concerns expressed by Guess when it reported results in March.
Jorgensen recognized that the discounts on Dockers show that Levi Strauss still has a way to go in its effort to reinvent that line of pants.
"The battle with Dockers is we're trying to reignite a category that went stale," Jorgensen said. Revenue, including sales and licensing revenues, rose 8.3% to $1.12 billion during the quarter that ended Feb. 27, helped by a surge in sales in Asia and improving wholesale business in the United States.

In the Americas region, where Levi Strauss gets half its business, revenue rose 9%

WildTangent and Levi's

2011-04-11T10:41:00.000-07:00

WildTangent announced today its partnership with the Levi's® brand by bringing the Levi's® Curve ID product to a unique new world of shoppers: virtual shoppers playing the popular Facebook game, Mall World. Through WildTangent's collaboration with the Levi's® brand it brings its proprietary ad platform BrandBoost to Mall World. "Shoppers" can earn coveted in-game items by engaging in a Levi's® virtual fit experience to find their perfect, custom fitting Levi's® Curve ID jeans. Players can also earn a pair of virtual Levi's® Curve ID jeans by exploring a new, virtual Levi's® retail store within the social game.

More than six million women and girls play Mall World each month on Facebook. In the game, enterprising types can run their own fashion boutique while fashion-forward trendsetters can shop to their heart's content. In Mall World, WildTangent brings to life Levi's® Curve ID custom fit system that is based on shape and not size by leveraging game developer 50cubes ability to integrate the brand's "Digital Fitting Room" into the game.

WildTangent's BrandBoost platform enables brands to sponsor access to additional playing time or virtual goods that players would otherwise have to pay for. The platform also makes possible the dynamic delivery of branded virtual goods into social games on Facebook. BrandBoost supports third-party ad serving and reporting as well as creative formats ranging from long-form video to social engagement activities.

About WildTangent

WildTangent operates a games service that allows consumers around the world to access downloadable, online and social games through one convenient Games App. Fueled by our digital currency, WildCoins, and a proprietary ad platform, BrandBoost, the service delivers the most cost efficient way to play games. Consumers can rent games, purchase them or play for free courtesy of brand advertisers.

WildTangent also powers advertising for a growing portfolio of third-party game developers and publishers enabling brands to reach more than 100 million monthly players with scalable, engagement-based advertising that enhances gameplay for consumers. BrandBoost is available in top social games on Facebook, massively multiplayer games, and premium flash games. Partners include Digital Chocolate, Crowdstar, Playdom, Sony Online Entertainment and DreamWorks.

Levi's offers skin tight jeans for men

2011-04-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

You’ve heard of the boyfriend jean. But how about the ex-girlfriend?
Clearly eager to bring gender equality to denim, Levi’s has unleashed a new style of super-skinny jeans for men -- the "ex-girlfriend," which plays on the popularity of loose-fitting boyfriend jeans for women.
"As skinny as it gets" is how the Levi’s website describes the ex-girlfriends, denims that look dangerously similar to jeggings (leggings styled to look like jeans).
On the label’s blog, the designers of the pants wrote that the jeans were inspired by a rock band they saw at Austin’s South by Southwest music and film festival."It has never been a secret in the denim design world that guys looking to make a statement with an extra-skinny pair of jeans go straight to the girl’s section," wrote the designers, Casey Egan and JeWon Yu.

"We thought, 'Hey, we can make a pair of women’s jeans for men with a tailored and proper fit.'"

That included loosening up the hip and thigh and allowing the waist to sit low.

"They’ve been the biggest seller since we’ve got them in," says regional manager Elle Epp.
Before the new fit, guys who wanted to go skinny had the option of trying unisex jeans by Just USA or Swedish label Cheap Monday, says Epp. The ex-girlfriends, however, "actually do fit men better," she says. "They have a really skinny leg like a women’s skinny jean, but then they have a little bit more wiggle room in the top area to give guys a little more room to move around." Made with two per cent elastane for a touch of stretch, the $95 jeans "look tighter than they actually feel," says Epp. They come in black and indigo blue washes.

"They totally accentuate the chicken legs," says Joel Bojeczko, stepping gingerly out of the Decadence fitting room in a pair of ex-girlfriends. "They’re cool to walk around in. You wouldn’t run and stuff like that in them. But they’re tight," he says with a chuckle. Bojeczko, who belongs to local rock cover band the Huge Fakers, prefers his jeans slim, not skinny, but he gets why the latter are so popular. "A lot of it has to do with the ’80s comeback, right?"

Super-skinnies, he figures, can be traced back to ’80s punk. Fitted jeans, says Epp, are more flattering. "If you wear the right jean, you can look a bit more clean-cut while being casual." And in her opinion, there’s no such thing as too tight. "If they can walk and not look awkward while they’re walking, they’re good to go."

Some guys even find them — yes — more comfortable. "The tighter (the jean), the more like sweatpants they become," says Jared Sager, who wears skinny jeans every day. "They almost become a second skin." While he likes the idea of the exgirlfriend, the 27-year-old claims to never have had to cop a pair of jeans from a girl. All his skinnies are either men’s or unisex jeans."To me, it’s all about confidence," he says. "If you’re going to do it, you have to rock it."

One of the biggest problems with skinnies, notes Bojeczko, is that "you’re kind of limited to the kind of undergarments you can wear. The boxer shorts don’t fly at all with skinny jeans."
Otherwise, the look isn’t so bad, says the 26-year-old.
"I never thought I had the calf definition to pull off skinny jeans. I think I was born with a curse that makes everything look good," he jokes.

But how tight is too tight?

"Well, nobody wants to see a bulge in their face," he says, laughing."If you were on the bus and there was a bulge next to your face, that would be very uncomfortable, right? That wouldn’t be cool.
"But is there a too tight? If the person’s really comfortable and they’re rocking it out, then who cares, right?"

jfong@edmontonjournal.com

Eric Baldwin new global creative director for Wieden+Kennedy Levi's account

2011-04-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

Eric Baldwin has become Wieden+Kennedy's global creative director for the Levi's account and will partner with Tyler Whisnand on Levi's. "We can't wait to see what Eric brings to Levi's. He is an impeccable designer and an inspirational leader," commented co-executive creative director Mark Fitzloff.
Bldwin and his team were responsible in 2010 for Old Spice's "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" which won the primetime commercial Emmy as well as the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Baldwin and Allen were part of the creative team behind the lauded, popular follow-up Old Spice "Response" interactive campaign.

Baldwin is originally from St. Louis where he worked as a graphic designer before moving to San Francisco to run the design department at Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners. He moved to Wieden+Kennedy as an art director in 2006, where he has since produced award-winning work for Old Spice, CareerBuilder.com, and EA.

Levi's Cycling jeans

2011-04-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Jeans giant Levi’s launched its Fall 2011 collection in New York City’s SoHo last week, not an event that would usually register too much here at road.cc were it not for the fact that the brand is launching a new Commuter Cycling Series, which appears to be squarely aimed at those who want to wear denim while on their bike, whether they’re heading off to work or an evening in the pub.
The key piece in the collection appears to be a pair of 511 jeans with specific features to make them more cycling friendly. Those include a utility waistband including D-lock storage, 3M reflective detailing and a higher cut so you’re not showing acres of flesh while out on your bike.
Levi’s PR people in the UK tell us that there are no plans at the moment to bring the range to the UK, so for now, unless you or someone you know is headed to the United States later on this year, they’re going to be difficult to get hold off. We’re looking to get further information on the range, however, and will give an update on that once we get it.

There’s no word as yet on price point, but a quick look at a variety of online retailers in the UK shows standard 511 jeans coming in at between £50 and £80, depending where you shop. That compares to £75 for jeans from Howies up to £150 for Rapha.

US-based clothing brand Outlier has jeans-style trousers from around £75-115, but you have to factor in the costs of shipping plus potential additional costs such as import duty.What Levi’s launch of its range does demonstrate, however, is that with cycling in general, and commuting by bike, on the rise, cycling is moving into the mainstream and big brands are sitting up and taking notice. Where one leads, others inevitably follow, so while the Levi’s range is set to be US-only, at least to begin with, this signal the start of seeing wider availability of cycling-specific clothing on the high street.

Thinking back to Levi’s iconic 501 TV ad featuring Nick Kamen in the 1980s, perhaps the mysterious Mr Opodolous from Eastenders should ask Walford Council to install cycle parking outside the Albert Square launderette, just in case

Levi's Ordered to pay up $1 million in overtime wages

2011-03-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Levi Strauss to pay $1 million in overtime

San Francisco Business Times - by Steven E.F. Brown

Date: Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 11:40am PDT

Levi's profit rose 28 percent in Q4

Levi's income up 28 percent in Q4

Jeans maker Levi Strauss & Co. will pay $1,011,413 in overtime back wages to 596 people after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found it violated the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Labor Department’s San Francisco district office found that Levi “misclassified several groups of workers, including assistant store managers of newly acquired stores, as exempt from overtime,” the department said. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis said such mistakes have “serious and adverse consequences for employees, as well as for corporations.”

Assistant store managers were thus required to work off the clock during late night closings and in the morning when they opened early. They also had to fill in without extra pay when stores were short of staff. Some administrative workers at Levi’s San Francisco headquarters were also misclassified as exempt from overtime. The investigation covered a two year period, the department said.
Levi has agreed to improve its timekeeping system for its workers as part of this deal.

Read more: Levi Strauss to pay $1 million in overtime
San Francisco Business Times

Branded music, live from Levi’s

2011-03-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

By Maria Stadtmueller. Levi’s has launched a series of branded Craft Of Music live music events at its London Regent’s Street store, together with music mag Clash.

The after-hours gigs kicked off in mid-March with Welsh band The Joy Formidable and Jamaican/Iranian ‘gritty soul sensation’ Rox.

The first Levi’s Craft Of Music sessions bowed in London last August with a six-concert series in August 2010, with acts covering genres ranging from rock to folk and funk. The platform, which featured the likes of Bass Clef, Carl Barat, Lissie, Steve Mason, The Magic Numbers, Chilly Gonzales and Beardyman, aims to bring artists to small audiences to showcase and discuss their craft.

And for those who don’t get tickets to the gigs, the brand has uploaded a video gallery of musicians from around the world singing and talking about their stuff.

Water.Org (founded by Matt Damon) and Levi's

2011-03-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

"Most people are still fairly uninformed about the world's water issues," Mike McCamon, Water.org's chief community officer, tells Marketing Daily. "We've got this icon of an African woman carrying a jerrycan on her head, and the problem is really far larger than just Africa. There are issues in Central America, Haiti ... it's a long list, and we were thrilled to partner with Levi's on this, since they had already successfully engaged people on the issue with their Water

Prizes for the game, which runs through April, include free jeans, as well as a shot at a trip to a community receiving access to clean water from Water.org, so the winners can "experience firsthand the excitement and joy of community members as their lives are forever changed."
Water.org, founded by actor Matt Damon and environmentalist Gary White, says one in eight people lack access to safe water, 2.5 billion don't have a toilet, and four million people die each year from preventable, waterborne diseases.

McCamon, who says the group has worked in the past with Zynga, which makes such games as FarmVille for social media, adds that while one might expect a strong Gen Y following, the group's mission really seems to resonate best with people 50 and older, as well as women, older especially moms.
Other marketers that have rallied around the water cause include Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble, through its PUR water brand