Levi’s new campaign has it all: music, nostalgia and 32-time Grammy Award winner and global icon Beyoncé.
On Monday, the heritage denim brand unveiled “Reiimagine,” a new campaign inspired by Levi’s legacy and Beyoncé’s innovative approach to art, culture and storytelling.
In a series of chapters, the campaign reinterprets several of Levi’s most iconic looks and advertisements, bringing them into the modern era through the lens of filmmaker Melina Matsoukas.
The first chapter is inspired by “Launderette,” the 1985 ad featuring heartthrob Nick Kamen. In the original ad, Kamen walked into a laundromat, stripped down to his boxers and tossed his Levi’s 501 jeans into a washer. The ad is set to Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.”
The new version places Beyoncé, dressed in the brand’s Essential Sporty T-shirt and 501 ’90s jeans, undressing down to Levi’s briefs. Beyoncé tosses the jeans into the washer along with a bucket of diamonds. She sits down and begins to read a newspaper called “The Red Tab.” She also wears a Levi’s denim cowboy hat and Levi’s tube socks.
“Levii’s Jeans,” a track from Beyoncé’s critically acclaimed album “Cowboy Carter” featuring Post Malone, plays in the ad. The song’s unique spelling is also repeated on Beyoncé’s belt buckle.
“My song ‘Levii’s Jeans’ celebrates what I believe is the ultimate Americana uniform—something we all wear with pride,” Beyoncé said in a statement. “I am honored to work with Levi’s to create quintessential American iconography. Denim on denim has often been seen through a male lens, so this reimagining campaign, which celebrates the iconic female perspective, is important to me. I look forward to exploring innovative ways for our visions to align in empowering women and honoring their strength.”
Levi’s began to tease the campaign last week on Instagram and with digital projections in key markets like San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Paris, London and Berlin.
The brand has been proud of its feature on “Cowboy Carter.” During the company’s Q1 earnings call in April, Michelle Gass, president and chief executive officer of Levi Strauss & Co., said the shout-out represents the brand’s role in pop culture.
“One of the things that really is significant about the Levi’s brand, and we place a lot of emphasis and investment in making sure that Levi’s brand remains in the center of culture. And I don’t think there’s any better evidence or proof point than having someone like Beyoncé, who is a culture shaper to actually name a song after us,” she said.
The “Reiimagine” campaign will include television, out-of-home, digital, social media, print, brand activations and exclusive products.
“The Levi’s brand has and always will be the unofficial uniform for those moving forward in the pursuit of better. We believe a key part of that is continuously breaking and building the codes of culture,” said Kenny Mitchell, global chief marketing officer of the Levi’s brand at Levi Strauss & Co. “In collaboration with Beyoncé, we explore the power of reimagination through this campaign, helping us to connect with our fans in new ways and supporting the growth of our women’s business as the definitive denim lifestyle brand.”
