The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) celebrated a handful of marketers for excellence in reaching out to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, with Levi Strauss, Progressive, and Wells Fargo among the big winners at its annual awards show.
The group also honored some companies for corporate behavior, including American Airlines, which received its Corporate Responsibility Award "in recognition of the company's longstanding and public commitment to the LGBT community." And it also recognized former Ad Age critic Bob Garfield with the Public Visibility Award, for columns critiquing homophobic images in advertising.
Levi Strauss & Co. won for Outstanding TV campaign for the LBGT market, for a spot highlighting Levi's Gay History Month/Logo Leaders Campaign. Johnson & Johnson's K-Y Brand won for a print campaign in a mainstream audience, for an ad called "America's Top Couple."
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Levi's and Braddock
In an era of high unemployment and diminishing national hopes, Levi’s intends to hearken back to a similarly dim time in American history as a way of illuminating the future. Built on the theme of “work,” with declarations like “Everybody’s Work is Equally Important” and “We Are All Workers,” the campaign evokes the Depression-era photographs of Dorothea Lange and the handmade aesthetic of the Works Progress Administration, the Roosevelt administration’s mammoth public works effort that helped put the United States back on its feet almost 80 years ago.
But this campaign won’t just use the town as a backdrop; it will sell the new Levi’s line of men’s work wear by selling the story of Braddock and its people. Local folk will be depicted as America’s “new pioneers,” rolling up their denim sleeves to build a new life for their town. Their images will be used in a TV and movie theatre ad shot by The Road director John Hillcoat and slapped on magazine spreads and billboards across North America. They will talk to the cameras of independent filmmaker Aaron Rose, and see their life stories transformed into a documentary posted on YouTube and airing on the Sundance Channel in the U.S. They will become the face of the brand. And Levi Strauss will do something else: it will tie itself to Braddock’s fate, donating $1-million to a local non-profit created to improve the quality of life, and tracking the effects of its philanthropy in hopes that it can help write a new chapter in the town’s history.
Levi’s, of course, is trying to revive its own fortunes. Once the No. 1 denim jean brand, with 30 per cent of the market, it has been on a decades-long slide. It failed to anticipate the premium jeans market, and abandoned the positioning that had fused its identity with the origin myth of American pioneers. The Braddock initiative looks to the future by embracing its own past.
If you scan the store shelves these days, it can sometimes feel as if brands are more interested in raising money for causes than in making and selling products. Stock up on toilet paper and you may be donating to the fight against cancer; buy some chocolate and you’re helping build a school in Ghana. More than ever, companies are trying to leverage the emotional equity embedded in a cause to help them form a deeper connection with consumers. And at the same time, people have bought into the argument that they can effect change more easily as consumers than as citizens. (Even the anti-consumption publication Adbusters has spoken of the need to “vote with your dollars.”) A study released this week by the Boston-based consulting firm Cone found that 81 per cent of Americans would like to have the opportunity to buy a cause-related product, up from 75 per cent just two years ago.
One of the largest such efforts is the Pepsi Refresh Project, a $25-million program funding small organizations across North America. Last month the Canadian division of Kia Motors rolled out “Drive Change,” a campaign based on unexpected acts of kindness, such as sending crews to build a community garden at an east-end Toronto housing project.
The Levi’s campaign, which evokes a time when government responsibility to its citizens was being wholly re-imagined, is especially rich and tangled. With the U.S. government either unable, because of its choking debt, or unwilling to play the resuscitative role it once did, Levi’s is trying to assume the role of guardian angel. “It is the responsibility of brands that believe in things to actually act on them, and act as the beacon that they can if the government can’t step in,” suggests Danielle Flagg, one of three Wieden creative directors on the Levi’s account.
© Copyright 2010 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
But this campaign won’t just use the town as a backdrop; it will sell the new Levi’s line of men’s work wear by selling the story of Braddock and its people. Local folk will be depicted as America’s “new pioneers,” rolling up their denim sleeves to build a new life for their town. Their images will be used in a TV and movie theatre ad shot by The Road director John Hillcoat and slapped on magazine spreads and billboards across North America. They will talk to the cameras of independent filmmaker Aaron Rose, and see their life stories transformed into a documentary posted on YouTube and airing on the Sundance Channel in the U.S. They will become the face of the brand. And Levi Strauss will do something else: it will tie itself to Braddock’s fate, donating $1-million to a local non-profit created to improve the quality of life, and tracking the effects of its philanthropy in hopes that it can help write a new chapter in the town’s history.
Levi’s, of course, is trying to revive its own fortunes. Once the No. 1 denim jean brand, with 30 per cent of the market, it has been on a decades-long slide. It failed to anticipate the premium jeans market, and abandoned the positioning that had fused its identity with the origin myth of American pioneers. The Braddock initiative looks to the future by embracing its own past.
If you scan the store shelves these days, it can sometimes feel as if brands are more interested in raising money for causes than in making and selling products. Stock up on toilet paper and you may be donating to the fight against cancer; buy some chocolate and you’re helping build a school in Ghana. More than ever, companies are trying to leverage the emotional equity embedded in a cause to help them form a deeper connection with consumers. And at the same time, people have bought into the argument that they can effect change more easily as consumers than as citizens. (Even the anti-consumption publication Adbusters has spoken of the need to “vote with your dollars.”) A study released this week by the Boston-based consulting firm Cone found that 81 per cent of Americans would like to have the opportunity to buy a cause-related product, up from 75 per cent just two years ago.
One of the largest such efforts is the Pepsi Refresh Project, a $25-million program funding small organizations across North America. Last month the Canadian division of Kia Motors rolled out “Drive Change,” a campaign based on unexpected acts of kindness, such as sending crews to build a community garden at an east-end Toronto housing project.
The Levi’s campaign, which evokes a time when government responsibility to its citizens was being wholly re-imagined, is especially rich and tangled. With the U.S. government either unable, because of its choking debt, or unwilling to play the resuscitative role it once did, Levi’s is trying to assume the role of guardian angel. “It is the responsibility of brands that believe in things to actually act on them, and act as the beacon that they can if the government can’t step in,” suggests Danielle Flagg, one of three Wieden creative directors on the Levi’s account.
© Copyright 2010 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Levi Strauss and Co. is trying on brand collaborations to grow its business.
Levi Strauss and Co. is trying on brand collaborations to grow its business.
The San Francisco jeans maker put together a new collaborations team about a year ago, mixing company veterans on the creative side with new merchandising and marketing hires. The result is a spate of partnerships with other iconic brands like Filson and more edgy designers like Opening Ceremony and Billy Reid. Several others will be announced before the end of the year, including one with Stussy. Still more partnerships will come in 2011 and 2012.
Levi has long done limited partnerships, but never this many all at once or with the bottom line goal of growing the business.“Over the last couple of years we have gotten more strategic about how we partner with brands, individuals and institutions, and integrated it more into our core business,” said Joshua Katz, the senior brand manager who heads Levi’s collaborations. “The value of these projects comes in connecting to a certain community, being able to tell a new and fresh story, and also how these collaborations allow us to create better product and better communicate the brand.”
That reflects a big-picture shift in the company as it fights to regain primacy in the denim world.
“If you are Levi, you are sitting there looking at your situation, and what you are looking at is a loss of market share. … They did $7.1 billion in sales and now they do $3.8 billion,” said Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a retail consulting and investment banking firm. “The people they are losing to are people doing private label and developing their own products. Walk through a mall, and who’s got Levi? Nobody.”
Levi once sold to specialty retailers like Gap, which now makes its own jeans. Some key wholesale accounts like Mervyns have gone the way of the dodo, and Levi more or less missed the explosion of premium denim in the first decade of this century during which Seven for All Mankind and its ilk dominated the denim fashion world.
While the business is more efficient than it has been for years, Levi must rebuild its consumer base and sales, Davidowitz said. In that light, these collaborations are smart. Levi has been missing on the merchandise and on the pizzazz side, he said, and these could bring back some of those.
Early signs are that it’s working.
The Levi trucker jacket in Filson’s oil tin cloth sold out in days and had to be re-ordered. They were available only in Filson and Levi stores and at Levi.com, so the partnership gave existing and new customers a reason to go into a Levi’s store. These collaborations may be some customers’ only entry point to the Levi brand.
The Filson, Opening Ceremony and Billy Reid collections are all made entirely in the United States and are jointly designed. They retail for more than a traditional pair of red tab Levi’s, but below Levi’s XX premium lines. Katz said these collaborations are profitable while feeding a broader commercial strategy.
“Our objective is to create new and compelling products that certainly push the envelope of what Levi does, but also something that existing customers can use and get them excited about the brand,” Katz said. “That leads to commercial success for us.”
Read more: Levi looks to partnerships to expand the brand - San Francisco Business Times
The San Francisco jeans maker put together a new collaborations team about a year ago, mixing company veterans on the creative side with new merchandising and marketing hires. The result is a spate of partnerships with other iconic brands like Filson and more edgy designers like Opening Ceremony and Billy Reid. Several others will be announced before the end of the year, including one with Stussy. Still more partnerships will come in 2011 and 2012.
Levi has long done limited partnerships, but never this many all at once or with the bottom line goal of growing the business.“Over the last couple of years we have gotten more strategic about how we partner with brands, individuals and institutions, and integrated it more into our core business,” said Joshua Katz, the senior brand manager who heads Levi’s collaborations. “The value of these projects comes in connecting to a certain community, being able to tell a new and fresh story, and also how these collaborations allow us to create better product and better communicate the brand.”
That reflects a big-picture shift in the company as it fights to regain primacy in the denim world.
“If you are Levi, you are sitting there looking at your situation, and what you are looking at is a loss of market share. … They did $7.1 billion in sales and now they do $3.8 billion,” said Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a retail consulting and investment banking firm. “The people they are losing to are people doing private label and developing their own products. Walk through a mall, and who’s got Levi? Nobody.”
Levi once sold to specialty retailers like Gap, which now makes its own jeans. Some key wholesale accounts like Mervyns have gone the way of the dodo, and Levi more or less missed the explosion of premium denim in the first decade of this century during which Seven for All Mankind and its ilk dominated the denim fashion world.
While the business is more efficient than it has been for years, Levi must rebuild its consumer base and sales, Davidowitz said. In that light, these collaborations are smart. Levi has been missing on the merchandise and on the pizzazz side, he said, and these could bring back some of those.
Early signs are that it’s working.
The Levi trucker jacket in Filson’s oil tin cloth sold out in days and had to be re-ordered. They were available only in Filson and Levi stores and at Levi.com, so the partnership gave existing and new customers a reason to go into a Levi’s store. These collaborations may be some customers’ only entry point to the Levi brand.
The Filson, Opening Ceremony and Billy Reid collections are all made entirely in the United States and are jointly designed. They retail for more than a traditional pair of red tab Levi’s, but below Levi’s XX premium lines. Katz said these collaborations are profitable while feeding a broader commercial strategy.
“Our objective is to create new and compelling products that certainly push the envelope of what Levi does, but also something that existing customers can use and get them excited about the brand,” Katz said. “That leads to commercial success for us.”
Read more: Levi looks to partnerships to expand the brand - San Francisco Business Times
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Perfect Fit!
US: Levi Strauss CEO joins Harley-Davidson board
Iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc has elected Levi Strauss & Co president and CEO John Anderson to its board of directors. What could be a more perfect fit. Levi's and Harleys have been intertwined since the 1950s and this appointment acknowledges their purely American heritage.
"Like Harley-Davidson, Levi's is one of the world's most highly-regarded brands," said Harley-Davidson chairman Barry K Allen. "John's rich experience with international operations and growing the Levi's brand globally adds valuable expertise and an important dimension to our own focus on global growth for the Harley-Davidson brand."
Anderson, who has been Levi's president and CEO since 2006, has held a number of merchandising, marketing and operational roles at the apparel and jeanswear firm during his 30-year career there.These have included president of the company's Asia Pacific division and president of its global sourcing organisation. These skillls will fit in nicely with Harley-Davidson's plans for expansion into that area of the world. Harley-Davidson Inc is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Harley-Davidson Financial Services and Buell Motorcycle Company. It also sells its own branded motorclothes merchandise such as jackets, boots and rain gear.
Iconic motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc has elected Levi Strauss & Co president and CEO John Anderson to its board of directors. What could be a more perfect fit. Levi's and Harleys have been intertwined since the 1950s and this appointment acknowledges their purely American heritage.
"Like Harley-Davidson, Levi's is one of the world's most highly-regarded brands," said Harley-Davidson chairman Barry K Allen. "John's rich experience with international operations and growing the Levi's brand globally adds valuable expertise and an important dimension to our own focus on global growth for the Harley-Davidson brand."
Anderson, who has been Levi's president and CEO since 2006, has held a number of merchandising, marketing and operational roles at the apparel and jeanswear firm during his 30-year career there.These have included president of the company's Asia Pacific division and president of its global sourcing organisation. These skillls will fit in nicely with Harley-Davidson's plans for expansion into that area of the world. Harley-Davidson Inc is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Harley-Davidson Financial Services and Buell Motorcycle Company. It also sells its own branded motorclothes merchandise such as jackets, boots and rain gear.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Deerhunter Coming to Chicago, But Where?
Image via Deerhunter’s MySpaceLevi’s and Urban Outfitters have teamed up to present the Secret Generator Series, a concert series that will bring free shows powered by generators to secret locations in two cities. Image clues revealed Friday that Chicago is one of those lucky cities and will host a show by Atlanta-based psych-rockers Deerhunter this Saturday, September 25. (Boston is the other city in this series and will host a show by Neon Indian October 3.)
The secret now is where exactly the show will take place. All we know for sure is that it will be in an unusual location and, because it’s powered by generators, it can pop up pretty much anywhere. The precise location will be announced 48 hours before the show, but in the meantime UO is dropping image clues on their Secret Generator Series blog. Monday and Tuesday's clues are photos of obscure portions of the undisclosed venue, and honestly, we’re still stumped. [Ed. note: though it appears others seem to think they've cracked the puzzle.] Take a crack at it yourself and let us know what you think.
Deerhunter will deliver this free show just days before the release of their new album, Halcyon Digest. We’re hoping that means Chicago will get to experience some of this new material live and in advance of the album’s follow-up tour, which kicks off Oct 1 and makes its way back to Chicago October 22. While waiting for the details of the secret show to unfold, mosey on over to NPR where they’re streaming the album free in its entirety until it’s September 28 release date.
The secret now is where exactly the show will take place. All we know for sure is that it will be in an unusual location and, because it’s powered by generators, it can pop up pretty much anywhere. The precise location will be announced 48 hours before the show, but in the meantime UO is dropping image clues on their Secret Generator Series blog. Monday and Tuesday's clues are photos of obscure portions of the undisclosed venue, and honestly, we’re still stumped. [Ed. note: though it appears others seem to think they've cracked the puzzle.] Take a crack at it yourself and let us know what you think.
Deerhunter will deliver this free show just days before the release of their new album, Halcyon Digest. We’re hoping that means Chicago will get to experience some of this new material live and in advance of the album’s follow-up tour, which kicks off Oct 1 and makes its way back to Chicago October 22. While waiting for the details of the secret show to unfold, mosey on over to NPR where they’re streaming the album free in its entirety until it’s September 28 release date.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Levi Strauss & Co is raisingprices on some products to cover rising costs
Levi Strauss & Co is raisingprices on some products to cover rising costs despite challenging conditions in major markets, the San Francisco-basedjeans maker's chief executive told Reuters on Monday. Although recovering markets are still fragile, clothingmakers in the United States have been squeezed by higher costsfor raw materials such as cotton as well as for labour andfreight. "We already have increased some prices selectively forspring," CEO John Anderson said on his first visit to Israel."We have definitely felt the pressure of those costs."
Levi's President Anderson was in Israel, one of its 110 national markets, tolaunch a women's line that focuses on shapes instead of sizes. "This is the biggest revolution in the women's jean industry since stretched denim was introduced...The early reaction is extremely positive," he said. Anderson said the company's goal is for women's denim to reach 40 percent of Levi's adult sales within 18 months to two years, from 30 percent now. During the relase of the company's second-quarter financialresults in July, Anderson said consumers in mature markets suchas the United States, Europe and Japan were under pressure andwould likely remain so through the end of the year.
"I think it is still challenging but our performance in theU.S. is strong," Anderson said. "But the general economicclimate will remain challenging in all three markets." Its second-quarter revenue rose 8 percent to $976.5 millionand its net loss widened to $14.4 million, hurt by high-yield debt refinancing. Revenue was up 8 percent in the Americas region, whichaccounts for nearly 60 percent of all sales, and rose 8 percentin Asia and 9 percent in Europe. Anderson said Levi's business is growing in Israel, where itis the No. 1 jeans brand, with sales doubling in the past fouryears."We feel very confident in the Israeli consumer. I think they are very fashion-aware, very brand conscious," he said.
Although many factories in China shut down as demand droppedduring the recession, Anderson said Levi Strauss is not asreliant on China as other clothing companies since it alsoproduces in Mexico, Pakistan, Poland and Turkey. "We are not facing problems in those places," he said.
Levi Strauss, which is privately held, reports quarterly results because its debt is publicly held.
Levi's President Anderson was in Israel, one of its 110 national markets, tolaunch a women's line that focuses on shapes instead of sizes. "This is the biggest revolution in the women's jean industry since stretched denim was introduced...The early reaction is extremely positive," he said. Anderson said the company's goal is for women's denim to reach 40 percent of Levi's adult sales within 18 months to two years, from 30 percent now. During the relase of the company's second-quarter financialresults in July, Anderson said consumers in mature markets suchas the United States, Europe and Japan were under pressure andwould likely remain so through the end of the year.
"I think it is still challenging but our performance in theU.S. is strong," Anderson said. "But the general economicclimate will remain challenging in all three markets." Its second-quarter revenue rose 8 percent to $976.5 millionand its net loss widened to $14.4 million, hurt by high-yield debt refinancing. Revenue was up 8 percent in the Americas region, whichaccounts for nearly 60 percent of all sales, and rose 8 percentin Asia and 9 percent in Europe. Anderson said Levi's business is growing in Israel, where itis the No. 1 jeans brand, with sales doubling in the past fouryears."We feel very confident in the Israeli consumer. I think they are very fashion-aware, very brand conscious," he said.
Although many factories in China shut down as demand droppedduring the recession, Anderson said Levi Strauss is not asreliant on China as other clothing companies since it alsoproduces in Mexico, Pakistan, Poland and Turkey. "We are not facing problems in those places," he said.
Levi Strauss, which is privately held, reports quarterly results because its debt is publicly held.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Nothing like a great fitting pair of Levi's
Yesterday I went to a friend's place where a group of us got together to put a new roof on her house. I was part of the support crew. While the guys were on the roof working hard, we had everything else ready for them and picked up the shingles that had been removed. I couldn't help but notice that all of the guys (from 18-50) were wearing Levi's and most the women who were wearing jeans were wearing Levi's. There is nothing like a pair of great hard working jeans when you are helping a friend.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
From the Economic Times
Through the 1990s, there were a few brands that most creative people would give an arm, a leg and just about any other body part to work on. Levi’s was one of them. Its commercials were strikingly original and different, sometimes surpassing the production values of the programming around which they were aired. It was among the most aspirational brands in the world.
It’s tough to keep up such a high level of consumer interest in a market and media scenario that’s changed seismically. And that’s pretty much what John Anderson’s job is. The president and CEO of Levi’s is making sure the brand remains sexy and relevant in a world where the mindspace of cool is more cluttered than it has ever been. Anderson holds forth on being one of advertising’s favourite clients, profits with principles and how the 155 year old brand makes its legacy work for it instead of against it.
Levi’s was one of the most iconic brands of the era when TV was the absolute dominant media vehicle. How have you adapted to the emergence of digital and interactive media? Social marketing will fundamentally change the way we build our brand. 10 years ago, we’d put a big TV commercial on air, have great production and push that message. It still plays a role, but by itself it’s not enough. You have to be able to build communities. Instead of a push message, you really want consumers to be the ambassadors for your brand. And you have to build that on a one to one relationship. We are pushing our marketing spend a lot more than we did in the past on Facebook, Twitter and these digital communities.
Facebook is a classic example. We have 150,000 fans on Facebook in India alone. In the US we have the Levi’s Guy and the Levi’s Girl on Twitter; constantly tweeting what’s going on in the Levi’s world. On YouTube we’ve released many of our TV commercials and also do specific small cameo ads. It’s a lot more difficult to measure but we firmly believe this is the right way.
We are also starting to use the technology of the virtual world to get people to understand what their fit is, for Curve Id (Levi’s recently launched women’s jeans range). When they go to the store, they can now say I am a demi-curve waist 33, and I want my jeans in boot cut stonewash. Eventually they’ll be able to do that online as well: go to a digital fit room, find what’s right, push the purchase button and get that delivered to their door. We are customising the product, the shopping experience and delivery. We are around three months away from implementing this in the US. The signifiers of cool have expanded to include everything from portable gaming systems to tablet PCs to mobile phones. How important are jeans in this ecosystem?
People still want to look good. Jeans are a part of this lifestyle. If you want to feel cool with your iPad or the type of phone you use, that’s one side of who you are but on the other side is how you look. Given it’s a 155 year old brand, Levi’s faces the danger of losing traction with younger consumers, of becoming “my dad’s brand.” How do you turn that corner?
We don’t want to lose the older consumers, either. What we focussed on was innovation targeted towards youth. We’ve set up a state of the art design development location in Istanbul, Turkey, focussing on youth, finishing technology and new fabric technology. We’ve also set up a new division based in Amsterdam called Double X where we have a global vintage collection and our more recent collection called Made and Crafted which is the best in five pocket jeans. We take that newness and drip it down through the Levi’s brand.
And we also have three design centres around the world in Hong Kong, Brussels and San Francisco. The strength of who we are with this global footprint enables us to stay very close to the market. We then take those trends and interpret them either through Double X in Amsterdam or the design technology centres. No other jeans brand in the world has the capability and the footprint to do that. And truly today, dads love our brands and the youth aspire to it.
STITCH in TIME
Many market leaders and brands that create categories are often outpaced by nimbler , younger competition at least when it comes to innovations in product or design. Would you say this is true of Levi’s ?
Absolutely not! Trends move too fast today. As a fast follower in apparel, you are never going to be dominant. The life cycle of a trend was two years half a decade ago. Today it is down to six to 12 months. We are absolutely committed to set and drive trends and that’s what being a leader is about.
Could you give us an example of a recent trend that you were able to drive around the world?
The whole low rise trend started in Brazil. As we start each season, our designers from around the world will input what’s happening in their market. It comes together in the brand meetings and then we push that across the world. You need to have people in the marketplace all the time; designers who understand when the trends are happening.
It’s tough to keep up such a high level of consumer interest in a market and media scenario that’s changed seismically. And that’s pretty much what John Anderson’s job is. The president and CEO of Levi’s is making sure the brand remains sexy and relevant in a world where the mindspace of cool is more cluttered than it has ever been. Anderson holds forth on being one of advertising’s favourite clients, profits with principles and how the 155 year old brand makes its legacy work for it instead of against it.
Levi’s was one of the most iconic brands of the era when TV was the absolute dominant media vehicle. How have you adapted to the emergence of digital and interactive media? Social marketing will fundamentally change the way we build our brand. 10 years ago, we’d put a big TV commercial on air, have great production and push that message. It still plays a role, but by itself it’s not enough. You have to be able to build communities. Instead of a push message, you really want consumers to be the ambassadors for your brand. And you have to build that on a one to one relationship. We are pushing our marketing spend a lot more than we did in the past on Facebook, Twitter and these digital communities.
Facebook is a classic example. We have 150,000 fans on Facebook in India alone. In the US we have the Levi’s Guy and the Levi’s Girl on Twitter; constantly tweeting what’s going on in the Levi’s world. On YouTube we’ve released many of our TV commercials and also do specific small cameo ads. It’s a lot more difficult to measure but we firmly believe this is the right way.
We are also starting to use the technology of the virtual world to get people to understand what their fit is, for Curve Id (Levi’s recently launched women’s jeans range). When they go to the store, they can now say I am a demi-curve waist 33, and I want my jeans in boot cut stonewash. Eventually they’ll be able to do that online as well: go to a digital fit room, find what’s right, push the purchase button and get that delivered to their door. We are customising the product, the shopping experience and delivery. We are around three months away from implementing this in the US. The signifiers of cool have expanded to include everything from portable gaming systems to tablet PCs to mobile phones. How important are jeans in this ecosystem?
People still want to look good. Jeans are a part of this lifestyle. If you want to feel cool with your iPad or the type of phone you use, that’s one side of who you are but on the other side is how you look. Given it’s a 155 year old brand, Levi’s faces the danger of losing traction with younger consumers, of becoming “my dad’s brand.” How do you turn that corner?
We don’t want to lose the older consumers, either. What we focussed on was innovation targeted towards youth. We’ve set up a state of the art design development location in Istanbul, Turkey, focussing on youth, finishing technology and new fabric technology. We’ve also set up a new division based in Amsterdam called Double X where we have a global vintage collection and our more recent collection called Made and Crafted which is the best in five pocket jeans. We take that newness and drip it down through the Levi’s brand.
And we also have three design centres around the world in Hong Kong, Brussels and San Francisco. The strength of who we are with this global footprint enables us to stay very close to the market. We then take those trends and interpret them either through Double X in Amsterdam or the design technology centres. No other jeans brand in the world has the capability and the footprint to do that. And truly today, dads love our brands and the youth aspire to it.
STITCH in TIME
Many market leaders and brands that create categories are often outpaced by nimbler , younger competition at least when it comes to innovations in product or design. Would you say this is true of Levi’s ?
Absolutely not! Trends move too fast today. As a fast follower in apparel, you are never going to be dominant. The life cycle of a trend was two years half a decade ago. Today it is down to six to 12 months. We are absolutely committed to set and drive trends and that’s what being a leader is about.
Could you give us an example of a recent trend that you were able to drive around the world?
The whole low rise trend started in Brazil. As we start each season, our designers from around the world will input what’s happening in their market. It comes together in the brand meetings and then we push that across the world. You need to have people in the marketplace all the time; designers who understand when the trends are happening.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A company with a heart
Levi Strauss & Co. Offers Clothing Donations to Victims of San Bruno Gas Explosion
Levi Strauss & Co announced a clothing donation program for victims of the San Bruno, California gas explosion. Victims of this disaster are eligible to receive a $250 gift card for Levi's® brand clothing. Gift cards can be claimed through the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross and can be redeemed at any Levi's® Store.
In addition, the Levi Strauss Foundation has made a $25,000 donation to the local chapter of the American Red Cross to aid in the community's recovery from this disaster. The company will also match employee donations.
As a San Francisco-based business, Levi Strauss & Co. is committed to serving the needs of its community and neighbors. The company extends its sympathy and support for those impacted by this tragedy
Levi Strauss & Co announced a clothing donation program for victims of the San Bruno, California gas explosion. Victims of this disaster are eligible to receive a $250 gift card for Levi's® brand clothing. Gift cards can be claimed through the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross and can be redeemed at any Levi's® Store.
In addition, the Levi Strauss Foundation has made a $25,000 donation to the local chapter of the American Red Cross to aid in the community's recovery from this disaster. The company will also match employee donations.
As a San Francisco-based business, Levi Strauss & Co. is committed to serving the needs of its community and neighbors. The company extends its sympathy and support for those impacted by this tragedy
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Billy Reid and Levi's
The Levi's denim brand is partnering with men's fashion designer Billy Reid to unveil a limited-edition, high-end collection this fall. Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid will be shown off at the Bloomingdale's store at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City, along with Reid's boutique in lower Manhattan as part of the Fashion's Night Out activities on September 10. The full collection will be available for purchase at select Bloomingdale's stores and all six Billy Reid store locations and online. This is the third year that Levi's has teamed with the winner of GQ's "Best New Menswear Designers in America" project to create a special collection.
The Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid collection updates working man's gear with fashion forward details. The line includes ten pieces: a canvas "apron" tool bag, a re-tooled 501 jean, a pair of sweatshirts, a red T-shirt, a denim shirt, a twill hunting coat, an oxford shirt, a 505 work pant and the heavy wool black trucker jacket shown above. The cotton jersey, crewneck pieces feature the Calabama graphic, a play on the mingling of aesthetics between the Levi's California-based headquarters and Alabama, the state Reid calls home. Prices range from $45 for a Calabama cotton crew t-shirt to $295 for the heavy twill Hunting Coat with detachable apron.
The Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid collection updates working man's gear with fashion forward details. The line includes ten pieces: a canvas "apron" tool bag, a re-tooled 501 jean, a pair of sweatshirts, a red T-shirt, a denim shirt, a twill hunting coat, an oxford shirt, a 505 work pant and the heavy wool black trucker jacket shown above. The cotton jersey, crewneck pieces feature the Calabama graphic, a play on the mingling of aesthetics between the Levi's California-based headquarters and Alabama, the state Reid calls home. Prices range from $45 for a Calabama cotton crew t-shirt to $295 for the heavy twill Hunting Coat with detachable apron.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Levi Strauss, H&M to stop carrying sandblasted goods due to health concerns for workers
Levi Strauss and Company is making a serious effort toward worker safety and I am impressed!
Levi Strauss, along with Hennes & Mauritz, will stop selling products that have been sandblasted due to the potential health hazards for factory workers, the companies said Wednesday.
Sandblasting has been used by the clothing industry to give some products a worn look but the process, if done incorrectly, can expose workers to crystalline silica, a compound found in sand. Crystalline silica has been classified as a human lung carcinogen, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Dust can enter the lungs and form scar tissue, reducing the ability of the lungs to take in oxygen. Levi Strauss and H&M said they are concerned that some factories, particularly those that make counterfeit products, do not install safeguards to shield workers from possible harm when they are sandblasting.
"We've implemented rigorous standards for sandblasting in our own supply chain but we decided that the best way to help ensure no worker — in any garment factory — faces the risks associated with exposure to crystalline silica is to move to end sandblasting industrywide," said David Love, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer at Levi Strauss & Co.
H&M Production Manager Karl Gunnar Fagerlin said that it will no longer buy or sell sandblasted products because it was too hard to make sure that all of its suppliers and their subcontractors were following proper safety procedures. The two companies said they will immediately stop placing new orders for sandblasted products and will not have any active production of sandblasted items as of Dec. 31.
Levi Strauss, along with Hennes & Mauritz, will stop selling products that have been sandblasted due to the potential health hazards for factory workers, the companies said Wednesday.
Sandblasting has been used by the clothing industry to give some products a worn look but the process, if done incorrectly, can expose workers to crystalline silica, a compound found in sand. Crystalline silica has been classified as a human lung carcinogen, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Dust can enter the lungs and form scar tissue, reducing the ability of the lungs to take in oxygen. Levi Strauss and H&M said they are concerned that some factories, particularly those that make counterfeit products, do not install safeguards to shield workers from possible harm when they are sandblasting.
"We've implemented rigorous standards for sandblasting in our own supply chain but we decided that the best way to help ensure no worker — in any garment factory — faces the risks associated with exposure to crystalline silica is to move to end sandblasting industrywide," said David Love, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer at Levi Strauss & Co.
H&M Production Manager Karl Gunnar Fagerlin said that it will no longer buy or sell sandblasted products because it was too hard to make sure that all of its suppliers and their subcontractors were following proper safety procedures. The two companies said they will immediately stop placing new orders for sandblasted products and will not have any active production of sandblasted items as of Dec. 31.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Divas Rock
FRUKT on Brands: Levi’s has teamed up with VUZU TV to develop Divas Rock, a live music concert tour across South Africa, aimed at raising awareness of HIV/AIDS.
By Giles Fitzgerald
The concept behind Divas Rock is to showcase singers that are “21st century role models who have taken the old definition of diva and turned it on its head” in a bid to draw attention to a group disproportionately affected by the HIV /AIDS pandemic – young women.
The Levi’s original Music: Divas Rock tour features an all female line up of artists, including Zaki Ibrahiam, That Girl and Candice Heyns and forms part of Levi’s long-running Red For Life charity initiative.
The opening concert in the series was held in Johannesburg on August 21. The next event takes place on September 11 at 21:00 at The Assembly venue in Cape Town. In order to obtain free guest-list tickets to this one-off event attendees simply have to register that they will be attending via a ‘like’ tab on the event’s Facebook page.
The clothing brand has previously sponsored both the Oppikoppi and Rocking the Daisies music festivals in South Africa and is highly active in promoting local music in its stores. News from the world of brands and music by FRUKT Communications. The leading music, entertainment and lifestyle marketing agency. For more information see www.fruktcomms.com, or to contact our editor email giles@fruktcomms.com
By Giles Fitzgerald
The Levi’s original Music: Divas Rock tour features an all female line up of artists, including Zaki Ibrahiam, That Girl and Candice Heyns and forms part of Levi’s long-running Red For Life charity initiative.
The opening concert in the series was held in Johannesburg on August 21. The next event takes place on September 11 at 21:00 at The Assembly venue in Cape Town. In order to obtain free guest-list tickets to this one-off event attendees simply have to register that they will be attending via a ‘like’ tab on the event’s Facebook page.
The clothing brand has previously sponsored both the Oppikoppi and Rocking the Daisies music festivals in South Africa and is highly active in promoting local music in its stores. News from the world of brands and music by FRUKT Communications. The leading music, entertainment and lifestyle marketing agency. For more information see www.fruktcomms.com, or to contact our editor email giles@fruktcomms.com
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Pixie Geldof, Miss Nine and Lykke Li
Meet the three lovely new faces to represent Levi's Curve ID range. Pixie Geldof, Miss Nine and Lykke Li are the brand's latest recruits for the revolutionary jeans collection. Following their biggest global 'fit' research of 60,000 women, Levi's identified three distinct body shapes (Slight, Demi, and Bold Curve) and created three styles of jeans in response.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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