Levi's Healthcare line

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 involved in first paperless coupon

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.

Levi Strauss 2010 Annual report

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

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

Levis and Opening Ceremony

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

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

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.

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

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 moves toward organic with Aura Herbal Textiles

Levi’s ties up with Aura Herbal Textiles


Monday, 14 March 2011

Ahmedabad-based Aura Herbal Textiles a certified company by Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for their natural/herbal dyeing process has bagged a prestigious client in the form of world denim leader brand Levi Strauss of the iconic Levi’s fame. The American brand has commissioned Aura to supply it a range of knits and wovens, dyed and printed with herbs for its new proposed ‘Herbal Collection’. At Aura certified organic fabrics, textiles and yarns are used as the raw material. Dyeing, weaving, printing all is done under keen supervision to maintain quality standards and even lengths of up to 1,000 meters in different fabrics like voiles, poplins, twills, flannels, corduroys, denims, knits, silks is now possible.



Absolutely environmental friendly, Aura Herbal has beautiful color palette of earthy shades and various prints ensuring no waste is generated. All the solid and liquid waste is used as manure and for irrigating their farms. Started in 2002, the company has come a long way since then. The company is co-managed by couple Arun and Sonal Baid and supplies eco-friendly textile products to over 500 clients across the globe. According to the couple, the dream is to offer options to each and every user to choose an herbal dyed textile over chemical dyed one, with no limitations to design, quantity, and quality.

Speaking about the tie-up with Levi Strauss, Arun Baid says they are doing dyeing of knits and woven for the herbal collection they are proposing. The printing will also use the herbal process. He sees business growing fast and in the near future with a growth of 100 per cent annually. They are now entering into undergarments, towels and fabrics to begin with.

Levi's Craft of Music Review: The Joy Formidable & RoxThe Welsh rockers kick it offLive

Words by Mischa Pearlman


There are a lot of puzzled faces peering through the large windows of Regent Street’s Levi’s Store, all trying to work out what’s going inside. Some Japanese tourists even take pictures, presumably unaware of who it is they’re capturing on their cameras. What they don’t know, though, the people inside do – that tonight is the first in a series of intimate and personal gigs put on by Clash and Levi’s to showcase some of the UK’s best new talent.
First up is Rox, whose debut album ‘Memoirs’ came out in June last year. Accompanied by just
one pianist/guitarist, who switches between the two instruments, her songs tonight are tender
and touching, full of a melancholy soul that’s carried in her incredible, perfect vocals. A slowed-down, minor chord rendition (for the first time ever) of ‘My Baby Left Me’ is mesmerising, but it’s a beautiful and touching cover of Seal’s ‘Crazy’, dedicated to Japan and the victims of that morning’s earthquake, that steals the show. Reinvented as one of her own songs, it’s a perfect demonstration of her considerable talent.

It’s a tough act for The Joy Formidable to follow, but, surfing on a wave of attention and hype, they’re clearly up for the challenge. Tonight, the Welsh trio (who are now based in London) perform stripped down acoustic versions of songs from their recently released first full-length, ‘The Big Roar’. Although they’re unplugged, the likes of ‘Austere’ and ‘Whirring’ still fizzle with a spike, feisty verve. Singer Ritzy Bryan might, like her two bandmates, be seated, but her charisma is still able to fill the bustling, busy room. Having flown in from Europe especially for this gig, and flying out the next day to head to SXSW in Austin, you could forgive them for being a little tired and disengaged, but they’re not in the slightest. In fact, the intimate setting creates a wonderful sense of openness which their songs, stripped down and raw, really thrive on.

Both artists also take part in a Q&A with the BBC’s Jen Long, explaining the process of their songwriting craft to a crowd who, if they’re brave enough, are also able to ask their own questions. It’s a nice touch, elevating this above being just a normal gig to something that those present will remember for a long time. As for those looking in from the outside – they’ll have to apply for tickets well in advance for the next one!
For all the live footage from the night and all other Levis Craft Of Music gigs please visit www.leviscraftwork.com

One of the Most Remarkable Levi's Ads

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.

Best Brand Senseis

Where is the Art in Levi's Garden?

Levi's Decades

1950's

1960's

1970's

Levi's no longer sponsors BMX

Updated: December 14, 2010, 2:04 PM ET

Levi's cuts BMX program for 2011

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By Brian Tunney
ESPN Action Sports
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Pete Demos/ShazamJamie Bestwick, seen here with son Sam at X16, was part of the Levi's BMX program since the beginning.

Following four years of direct involvement in BMX, Levi's has cut their BMX program for 2011. The dissolution of the BMX program leaves the core team of Levi's BMX riders, including Jamie Bestwick, Corey Martinez, Anthony Napolitan, Morgan Wade, Dakota Roche, Zack Warden, Nathan Williams, Ronnie Napolitan, Jeremiah Smith, Brett Walker, Brian Hunt and Seth Klinger, without a clothing sponsor. "The team could not have been a better group of guys. It's safe it had to end, but life goes on," said United's Corey Martinez, who rode for Levi's since the program's inception.

The Levi's BMX program was a BMX-specific venture from the jeans manufacturer that began in 2007. In the beginning of the program, which was developed by Bird Marketing's Kathy McGrath, Levi's sponsored Martinez, Bestwick, Napolitan and Wade, and allowed the team to organically grow alongside the brand's identity within BMX, slowly bringing on new team riders, nailing a hectic production schedule that included a full-length DVD and weekly Web videos, and covering each team rider's health insurance expenses.

"Levi's gave 100% to this program. They allowed me to dictate almost every decision, trusting that we'd build a program that supported BMX in a way that felt like it came from the inside. The amount of freedom that we had to direct this program is really unprecedented. If you ask any of the Levi's athletes, I am confident that they will tell you that the one and only bad part about the program was that it had to end. It's rare that a sponsorship lives longer than 2-3 years. And if you can get four plus years out of a brand, it shows that they were really committed to more than just the advertising, they felt an affinity for the lifestyle around that sponsorship. To put it in more basic language: Levi's really loved BMX," said McGrath.

While the Levi's BMX program was in full operation, the program supported the greater BMX scene at large, advertising in major BMX magazines, printing t-shirts from businesses owned by BMXers, employing BMX photographers and videographers to create media, and sponsoring Props Video Magazine for two years. "We spent almost every dime of your multi-7 figure budget inside of BMX," added McGrath.

Although original team members Jamie Bestwick and Anthony Napolitan were unavailable for comment, both Martinez and Morgan Wade were grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Levi's BMX program.

"Levi's was the best sponsor I've ever had. I'm pretty bummed that the program is ending, but that

Levi's 2007 ad

Levi's Unfamous Music Awards

Jefferson AirPlane- Levi's ad

GLADD recognizes Levi's

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."

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.