Levi's Spaceman Ad

Levi's Retains Wieden + Kennedy, OMD After Review

Worldwide spending on account estimated at $150 million

Jan 27, 2011- Steve McClellan

Levi's has retained both Wieden + Kennedy and Omnicom's OMD after a review, and expanded their duties, the company informed the shops today. Worldwide spending on the account is estimated at $150 million, about half of which is spent in the U.S.Both shops have handled U.S. duties since 2008. Now Wieden will handle chores in multiple markets, while OMD has picked up global media duties.

OMD also added global digital duties previously handled by Publicis Groupe's Razorfish. The client spends about $50 million annually on digital ads, per sources. Other contending media roster shops included Publicis Groupe's Starcom, the European incumbent, and MediaCom.

Jones Lundin Beals managed the review process.

Recycling jeans

Early Levi's Ad

Littlewoods, England to carry Levi's

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, January 27, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Littlewoods Europe has launched its new season collection, which sees more big brands being brought to customers in France, Spain, Germany and Portugal.
As part of the new season collection, Littlewoods Europe will now be stocking two new denim ranges; Levi Curve ID and Not Your Daughter's Jeans (NYDJ).
The Levi Curve ID range features jeans which are more about fit rather than size. Levi Curve ID jeans are available in sizes 8 to 16 with a choice of short, regular and long and 3 different fits. The range aims to offer a better fit for all women whatever their shape.
The new NYDJ jeans range boasts you can buy one size smaller than your normal jeans for a guaranteed slimmer look. The jeans feature patented criss-cross panels that flatter the tummy without making them uncomfortable, which offer the wearer a slimmer look. NYDJ jeans are available in sizes 6 to 20.

A spokesperson for Littlewoods Europe commented: "Littlewoods Europe are delighted to be able to offer the new Curve ID range from the iconic brand Levis jeans. This is complemented by the range from NYDJ, designed to flatter the more mature figure. It's definitely our best range of denim yet."

About Littlewoods Europe:

Littlewoods Europe launched on 27th August 2009 is aimed at women who want the convenience of home delivery from one of their favourite British on-line retailers.
The Littlewoods Europe site features over 14000 product lines, from core categories of clothing, footwear, toys, kidswear and homeware. Littlewoods Europe already feature big brands such as Adidas Originals, Nike clothing and Bench clothing.
Shop Direct Group is the UK's largest online and home shopping retailer with sales of circa GBP1.7 billion, with 5 million active customers across the business and around 9,000 employees.

Yeah! Levi's and Women

In addition to providing financial support for the documentary, Levi Strauss and Co. sponsored tie-in activities highlighting Miss Representation, which explores the lamentable media representation of women, especially those in positions of power:

Levi’s Seeking New “Levi’s Girl” by Vainstyle

As one of America’s favorite denim companies, Levi’s knows the significance of being “for the people, by the people.” In a new effort, the company is taking to their social networks to find an “authentic, stylish and social media-savvy millennial woman” to be their new Levi’s Girl. “As a company, Levi Strauss & Co. aims to embody the energy and events of our time, inspiring people from all walks of life with a pioneering spirit—and that philosophy is woven throughout all of our marketing efforts,” said Mary Alderete, Vice President of Global Women’s Marketing, Levi Strauss & Co to PR Couture. “Levi’s® has always been a cultural icon, especially for young people. Therefore it’s crucial that we understand each incoming generation and how they interpret their world…Engaging with a “real” brand ambassador is an authentic and organic way to speak to our fans.”

In addition to blogging, tweeting, attending events and reporting on “all things Levi’s, the 6-month paid position will also include acting as the new face and voice of the company’s newest venture, Shape Whats to Come: an online mentorship community focused on music, fashion, art and media, and social change. “Ranging from up-and-coming artists and performers to twenty-something entrepreneurs and advocates for social change, these ambassadors act as catalysts for sharing stories, swapping ideas and rallying around shared causes,” Alderete said.

The Levi’s Girl will work alongside the Levi’s Guy in San Francisco, so if you tink that you have what it takes, create your video on why you should be the face and voice of Levi’s Women and Shape Whats To Come and head over to Facebook to submit! They’ll choose the best submissions and allow Levi’s fans to pick the winner!

Edibile Schoolyard book

Levi's Workshop Video

Levi contract for Ceva

Levi Strauss has awarded a contract to Ceva to move product into Brazil.

Under the contract, Ceva will transport clothing from 20 distribution points across the world to the Levi’s distribution centre in Itapevi, São Paulo. Ceva will also manage international transport procedures, customs clearance for imports and delivery at the DC.

Marcia Lumatti, Levi’s logistics manager for Brazil said: “This partnership with Ceva plays an essential role in aligning operations in Brazil as well as standardising its manufacturing processes with Levi’s worldwide

Not washing jeans for 15 months is trendy -- and safe

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Wednesday Jan. 19, 2011 8:55 PM ET

A University of Alberta student didn't wash a pair of skinny jeans for 15 months and science says the fashion trend is safe, but maybe a tad smelly. Josh Le wore the same pair of jeans to break in the raw denim, so it would wrap the contours of his body, leaving distinct wear lines. He had his textile professor test the jeans for bacteria before washing them for the first time. The results showed high counts of five different kinds of bacteria, but nothing in the range of being considered a health hazard.

Raw denim is not washed or treated when it is manufactured.

A current trend is to wear the dark indigo jeans without washing them to allow the indigo to wear out in the fabric. After the jeans are washed, they leave a unique pattern based on their owner's body. Le said some friends were "grossed out" by his experiment, but others thought it was interesting.

"Some people really liked it, but some people were completely grossed out by it," he told The Canadian Press. "I was able to meet a lot more people and have a lot of good conversations. It was like, 'hey, nice jeans."'

When his jeans got a bit funky smelling, Le's solution was to put them in the freezer. "There were times when it had a bad odour, like in the seventh month," he said. "That's when I threw it in the freezer and magically when it came out it was odourless."

Levis Annual Report 2009

One of the Most Remarkable Levi's Ads

Levi's Rocks Facebook

Levi's Rocks Facebook


Levi's brought in rock band Nada Surf to perform live via the company's Facebook page on Oct. 23 and picked up around 45,000 "Likers" in the process. To push the branded content event, Levi's purchased Facebook.com ads leading into last weekend, while the copy encouraged viewers to hit the "Like" button in order to watch the concert.

"We targeted 22-to-40-year olds nationally," said Megan O'Connor, director of digital and social marketing for the San Francisco-based jeans firm. "Music has been a tent pole for the brand, and Facebook allows us to amplify on-the-ground events and provide exclusive content to our fan base."

In conjunction with Spin magazine, Nada Surf performed on Levi's "Live & Direct" Facebook channel for 45 minutes. The band played at the "Levi's Photo Workshop" New York City space, where the brand holds photography/film- and music-related events. According to Levi's, 6,858 unique visitors watched the performance on Facebook for an average of 17 minutes.

O'Connor said her team had done past live-streams and knew how to handle the Nada Surf concert in terms of technical and administrative issues. She deemed the event an ROI success due to the engagement created, pointing to the bevy of viewer comments that appeared during the concert and are still being posted days later.

"We love when we can engage directly with our current fan base at the same time as growing new relationships and offering them best-in-class content," O'Connor explained.

Levi's has been among the most aggressive brands on Facebook during the last six months. For instance, yesterday, it was running Facebook.com ads to promote a two-day, 40 percent discount offer. The ads were targeted at the company's 1.9 million "Likers" (or "Fans" in the former parlance) with the following copy: "Hey Fans! Get 40% off our hottest styles today and tomorrow only! Shop now!"



And about a week after the Palo Alto, CA-based social site unveiled its open graph platform in April, Levi.com staffers stitched "Like" buttons next to all products on the site. At that time, the band also unveiled its "Friends Store." As an auxiliary store within the larger e-commerce platform at the U.S. version of Levi.com, the Facebook-based shopping channel is pushed as one of six product categories at the top of the home page.



Visitors who click through to the store see invitations to use Facebook Connect and to "Like" the brand. If they enable Connect, viewers will see their Facebook friends' upcoming birthdays - for those who have their birthday privacy control at a public setting - in a box slightly below the fold that includes names and profile pictures. What's more, the Friends Store gets populated with merchandise that users and their friends have "Liked" in the past.

One last example of Levi's through Facebook integration: the "Photo Workshop" venue's dedicated site also offers visitors the ability to enable Connect.

Levi's Worldwide

Searching for new Levi's Girl on Facebook

The search is on again for the new Lev's girl to represent Levi's women's wear line. It is all happening on Facebook

The search has been extended to the UK as well as the U.S. Interested individuals are asked to submit a short video detailing why they should be chosen for the role, which involves engaging with Levi’s fan base on Facebook() and Twitter() on a day-to-day basis. To qualify, videos must be submitted via the retailer’s Facebook Page by February 2.

From the video submissions, Levi’s will select five candidates for a public voting round between February 16 and 23, which will test each candidate’s ability to mobilize her personal network on her behalf. It’s a clever strategy that is sure to win Levi’s many more Facebook “Likes”, whilst giving existing fans a hand in the selection process.
The winner will be announced on March 7 and receive a six-month paid position at Levi’s San Francisco headquarters to work alongside the more permanently situated “Levi’s Guy.”

Where did the name Denim Jeans come from?

'Serge de Nîmes'

In fashion history, jeans and denim history continues to baffle us. No one truly knows the perfect answer to where jeans began. As so often happens fashions often emerge together in various parts of the world and are the result of the sudden availability of a new fabric, cloth, dye or technique.



But we do know that the phrase denim jeans is thought to derive from several sources. The majority of source books suggest that denim derives from the English translation of the South of France French phrase 'Serge de Nîmes'. Denim fashion history is thus associated with Serge de Nîmes. It may well be that the fabric which was made in France also had a version made locally in England, and was called by the same name of denim, in the same way that Cheddar cheese is called cheddar all over the world. The Serge de Nîmes was originally a wool silk mix, twill weave. Certainly by the 19th century in England, denim had a white warp and a navy woof (weft). Denim was considered a hard wearing sturdy fabric, ideal for heavy labouring.

Levi's Ad- Go work

Levi's Suing Dolce & Gabbana For Copying Pocket Stitching

Fashion


Lauren Smiley, Tue., Jan. 11 2011 @ 6:25PM Categories: Fashion

​Levi's is suing another fashion label for trademark infringement alleging it copied the Levi's double- arch stitching design and ribbon tab on the back pocket. The San Francisco-based jeans company filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco Wednesday against Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, saying they've breached a 1998 settlement agreement between the two companies over similar allegations. Levis has also filed a petition with the United States Patent and Trademark Office asking it to cancel D&G's patent of the pocket stitching.

Levis had first confronted D&G about using the tab on their back pocket seam (a la Levi's red tab) in 1997. At that time, the two companies entered into a settlement agreement, with D&G agreeing to no longer make jeans that had the tab.But Levis says D&G has started selling spring/summer 2011 jeans with the pocket tabs as well as pocket stitching similar to Levi's. Levi's claims to have sold the jeans with the tab and stitching pocket combination since 1936.  D&G is not the first company that has faced legal action from Levi's for copying its tab and stitching. According to a 2007 New York Times story, Levi's had filed nearly 100 lawsuits against jeans manufacturers since 2001:The company's team of denim detectives -- there are 40 across the world, scouring boutiques and department stores -- has spotted what they considered offending stitches on jeans from the biggest names in the clothing business: Guess, Zegna, Esprit, Lucky Brand and Zumiez, to name a few.

Levi's taking water seriously

When Levi's washes its jeans, it's not to get them clean. It's to make them soft.


The Waterless project already has changed the culture in the company's headquarters in San Francisco, which has switched to low-flow faucets, for example. Personally, Joule says he keeps track of his own water usage at home: No more running water when he's brushing his teeth.


 Levi's now offers a denim collection, with styles for men and women, that reduces the amount of water used in the finishing process by an average of 11 gallons per pair. The manufacturer began offering a denim collection this week that reduces the amount of water used in the finishing by an average of 11 gallons per pair. The company claims a total of 4 million gallons saved for its spring collection now in stores.

The denim is still "washed" with stones, but the water has been removed from the process, and the number of wet-washing cycles has been cut by combining steps.The early reaction to the Waterless jeans, according to Erik Joule, senior vice president of merchandising and design, is, "What's the difference?""I think anything that blends fashion without an altered look, with sustainability and social responsibility, it's a winner, but sometimes there's a tension between the sides."

Parent company Levi Strauss & Co. is using this launch as a starting point for a conversation with its consumers, manufacturers, retailers and, says Joule, even its competitors about doing business in a more eco-friendly way. The hangtag that goes home with the jeans also encourages less washing at home, use of cold water and line drying.A real greening of the industry — without the aesthetic change — could get people excited about buying new jeans, he adds.There's an emphasis on Levi's men's product for now, partially because men tend to like a more rigid, dry hand on their denim than women — and that texture was easier to master with the drier process.But development is under way for lighter, softer finishes, and the technology is being passed on to the Docker's brand to start work on khakis.

The Levi's Culture

From the Levi's Career site:

We hire high-caliber team players who share our values and our drive to be first, fast and best. We promise an open team environment where employees can be honest, direct and supportive. We require collaboration and, at the same time, robust debate.


By nature, we are externally focused and we are determined to stay that way. This means constantly scanning developments that affect our business, and acting on that information to surprise and delight our customers.

Innovation is woven into the fabric of our company. We strive to make the extraordinary happen, and we mean it with our brands, our business practices and in all other possible ways.

The more we win, the more change we can make. That, too, is part of our culture because we are a company that believes we’re here for something bigger than ourselves. Like our founder Levi Strauss, we apply original, courageous thinking to seemingly intractable problems. From environmental sustainability to ethical product sourcing, we look at the big picture of corporate citizenship, focusing on the toughest, most complex challenges facing our world today.

We have a long and distinguished history of corporate citizenship, including our unwavering commitment to responsible business practices. To ensure we provide our employees with a clear set of standards and guidance for conducting our business with integrity and the highest degree of compliance with the law, we established our Worldwide Code of Business Conduct.

The Global Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy provides additional, specific guidance on two critical sections of the Worldwide Code of Business Conduct – Compliance with Laws, Rules and Regulations and Government Officials.

Brand Ratings Compared

Levi's Pendleton

Levi's Dry Goods

But the problem with Levi’s isn’t so much that the company doesn’t make great jeans with (mostly) affordable pricing—the problem is it can be tough to even locate what you’re looking for. While Levi’s stores were once abundant, many of them have shut down, including the one in South Coast Plaza. Meanwhile, department stores carry Levi’s denim, but not in a wide array of cuts, lengths and colors.


Levi’s Dry Goods is your solution. It combines hard-to-find selections from the Levi’s outlet stores with its main line. Looking for 550 Relaxed Fits? 510 Super Skinnies? What about the 569 Relaxed Straight? Enter the store, and stacks of jeans surround you on all sides. Denim in shades you haven’t seen in decades (blues, purples, blacks, tans), with short, medium and long lengths all laid out for you to try on. Your size isn’t there? Ask. Or rather, wait for someone: Just going from one end of the store to the other, a minimum of five employees will likely ask if you need any help.

Also, guys, take note of the special Shrink to Fit section in the back: A table stocked with 501 Originals ($46-$60) boasts a rigid denim you can customize however you want. Think of it as fancy raw denim on a budget: Wash as little as possible in the first year to keep the wash dark. Or go ahead and fade it as you please with (recommended) hand washing. The fit will shrink about 10 percent depending on how soon you wash them and how often you wear them.

And yes, the store also sells other Levi’s-brand (typically bland) goods—tops, accessories, bags, outerwear, whatever—but definitely get the jeans.
Levi’s Dry Goods at the Tustin Marketplace, 2801 El Camino Real, Ste. 15-F, Tustin, (714) 734-8389; www.us.levi.com.

vchang@ocweekly.com

In Eco-Jeans, the Green Becomes Harder to Spot

Most jeans are no longer made with organic cotton, but several lines are still sold at Kaight in New York.

TWO years ago, when going green was red-hot in the fashion industry, there were plenty of organic jeans to choose from. Brands including Levi’s, Banana Republic, Genetic Denim, 7 For All Mankind, Earnest Sewn, Aristocrat, Loomstate, Del Forte and J Brand offered at least one pair made with some amount of organic cotton, which is grown without environmentally threatening chemicals (according to the Sustainable Cotton Project, a nonprofit organization, conventional cotton consumes 25 percent of the world’s chemical pesticides and fertilizers).

Today, none of the brands do. Which raises the question: Where has all the organic denim gone?

Some smaller lines were crushed by the recession and a crowded market. “In a matter of 12 months, I lost 25 to 30 percent of my customer base because of stores closing or scaling back orders and going with more price-conscious lines,” said Tierra Del Forte, who closed her eco-jeans line, Del Forte, in 2009.
But other companies are extending their attention beyond cotton to the entire manufacturing process, according to LaRhea Pepper, senior director at Textile Exchange (formerly Organic Exchange), a nonprofit organization advocating the spread of organic agriculture.

Factors now being considered include water use, dye impact, soil health, labor issues and fair trade. “There has been a paradigm shift: it’s about water, toxic waste, scrap on the cutting room floor,” Ms. Pepper said. “Across the board we see companies figuring out how to do the right thing, do it in a way that’s economically viable, move the agenda forward and make a difference.”

Levi’s Eco line is no longer in stock, but the company continues to use some organic cotton while rejiggering its eco-efforts. “We’re shooting for greater impact,” said Michael Kobori, vice president for social and environmental sustainability at Levi Strauss. Along with H & M, Adidas and Nike, Levi’s has joined the Better Cotton Initiative, another nonprofit, which focuses on sustainable-agriculture techniques, water use and economic and labor issues. Mr. Kobori said that the initiative’s cotton farms in India and Pakistan have reduced chemical use and water consumption by a third. The resulting product, called Better Cotton, won’t likely show up in Levi’s clothing until spring 2012, and will be blended with conventional cotton at first. But the goal is to use it in everything the company makes. “We want to shift the way cotton is grown around the world,” Mr. Kobori said. “All cotton can be grown this way.”

Shoppers not interested in delayed gratification can buy Levi’s new Water Less jeans, which sell at retail for $50 to $130, starting this month. The fading and whiskers on them are done with reduced or no water, Mr. Kobori said, saving about 10 liters a pair. The company also advocates the dirty look; a life-cycle assessment of 501s and Dockers it conducted revealed the biggest water use with jeans is when consumers wash them. So Levi’s is asking customers to wash less, and its labels now read: “Wash in cold water. Line dry. Donate to Goodwill when no longer needed.” (And don’t forget the eco-detergent.)

Lacking Levi’s global resources, the designer Rogan Gregory has stopped using organic denim for his self-described “environmentally and socially conscious” brand, Loomstate. “If you’re not a manufacturer, it’s challenging to execute,” Mr. Gregory said. He’s also had concerns with the fit and washes of the fabric; organic cotton has a shorter fiber than conventional or genetically modified cotton, making it more difficult to weave. “It unravels and is more fuzzy, softer,” Mr. Gregory said. “I thought that was part of the charm, but the market is not tolerant.” Organic cotton remains in Loomstate’s knits (“Fit isn’t as down-to-the-centimeter with dresses,” the designer said), but Mr. Gregory has also turned to other options, like reusable fabrics. “I bet 10 to 20 years from now, cotton will be phasing out,” he said. “They will find ways to simulate and replicate the benefits of cotton without the bad parts.”

For those unwilling to try the most eco-conscious jeans of all — vintage — there remains a smattering of brands using organic denim. Patagonia’s outdoorsy take is a bargain at $79; Edun’s distressed skinny jean ($198) requires long limbs; Nau’s unadorned straight jean ($180) and Eileen Fisher’s chic-and-tidy line — boot, skinny, straight or “jeggings” for $158 to $168 — are appropriately versatile. On the Lower East Side, the eco boutique Kaight sells versions by Linda Loudermilk, Prairie Underground, Good Society and a few discontinued lines, each for less than $200. Organic cotton stretches, said Kaight’s owner, Kate McGregor, so she suggests buying one size smaller than usual.

But the process of greening jeans contains enough shades of gray that many companies think it’s best just to remain quiet on the topic. “With marketing, especially with fashion, you have to be careful not to push the concept,” Mr. Gregory said. “It still has to be about the fashion of the garment. With food it is different — you’re consuming it, that’s about quality. When it comes to clothing it’s, ‘I know it might be bad for the environment, but it makes my derrière look perfect.’ ”

Levi's Women- 1950's ad

New Denim for the NEW year

Levi's Eyewear

The Levi's® Brand--along with its iconic 501 jean - is one of the most beloved, well known, and often imitated brands the world over.


Original & Authenticity - Levi Strauss & Co. invented the blue jean in 1853. No other brand can match Levi's® authenticity of 130+ years of denim expertise.

Sexy - There is nothing sexier, for a man or a woman, than a great fitting pair of Levi jeans.

True iconic stature, coupling its heritage with modern sophistication - The Levi's® brand is one of most well known, impactive brands worldwide. It's contributions to the pop culture and style landscapes transcend fashion's fleeting moments.

Levi’s® Eyewear accomplishes just that with our new eyewear collection: eye-catching styles, easy fit and comfort...all with the signature Levi’s® Red Tab of quality on the temple tips.

Billy Reid Apron Bag

It's the Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid Apron Bag that I picked up at Reid's Houston store in October -- part of the collaborative capsule collection the menswear designer created as a perk of winning GQ's Best New Menswear Designer in America Award (Reid has since added the 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award to the list).


That collection was inspired by an old blacksmith's apron Reid found in the Levi Strauss archives and Reid designed this bag -- made out of distressed and battered duck canvas bag (with 12-inch leather drop handles) to resemble it.Not only did it prove to be a manly enough man bag to circumvent any potential ribbing from friends and family members back in Vermont, it turned out to be astonishingly roomy, transporting, over the course of my visit, three months' worth of unread magazines, a pot full of steaming jambalaya for the family Boxing Day celebration, two six-packs of Harpoon Winter Warmer and two families' worth of presents in various stages of being wrapped.

But the bag really earned its stripes during my Delta-delayed return to Los Angeles. After our Monday flight from JFK was canceled, my bride and I managed to get booked out of Boston on Tuesday -- on two separate flights. That meant I faced the prospect of being sandwiched between two strangers on two different sold-out flights with cold weather and Christmas presents ensuring that overhead bin space would be nonexistent.

Not only did it easily stow a laptop computer, a Christmas-gifted iPad (still in box), a J. Crew barn jacket, a scarf, a pair of gloves, hat, two iPods, a package of Fortuna's Vermont Maple Beef Jerky, a Mo's Dark Bacon Bar, a Jack Spade gadget pouch, a Jack Spade zippered portfolio, my 2010 At-A-Glance Administrator, a camera, a digital voice recorder, two spiral-ring notebooks, a tangle of cords and chargers and two cans of Diet Coke, it managed to do so in a way that allowed the bundle -- cinched tight by threading the apron strings through the metal grommets and tying them off -- to store neatly under the seat in front of me. (And thanks to its pre-scuffed and worn look, any errant kicks didn't matter.) It reminded me of Santa's magic bag -- somehow big enough to fit all the toys for every good little boy and girl around the world but at the same time small enough to cram into the back of a sleigh.

Although Billy Reid's own website is sold out of the $150 bag, Bloomingdale's e-commerce site currently lists it as in stock.

-- Adam Tschorn
Billy Reid wins 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award