See why Diana D'souza Associate Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications and Shameen Khatri Art Maker, Not Like That like new ad of Levi's.
By FCB Wear them on your farewell or your funeral, make sure you don't bore 'em pair of denims; says the fresh out of the oven spot for Levi's created by their new creative spouse (FCB).
In a chat, Diana D'souza Associate Creative Director, Scarecrow Communications and Shameen Khatri Art Maker, Not Like That discuss about Levi's new ad.
Are we missing W+K's midas touch here? Maybe not. We're getting to see enough films with random montages that tell you that tomorrow will be another day and you can basically win the world. This one, however, gives you the apt denim flavour you'd expect of a Levi's. Our adwomen are impressed as well.
Idea
Diana D'souza: "One look, twice sold"— The first 4 words of this riveting Jamie Commons background score sums it up for me. In this ad, Levi's declares that its clothing feels good enough to live in. Why not, one has enough reason to believe that claim.
Levi's does well in personifying their clothing. Surely, a pair of jeans has a library of stories to tell. And all the brand says is to make those stories unboring. Though it's not an out-of-the-world idea, it's for sure a refreshingly warm one.
Shameen Khatri: The ad is what jeans are all about. Right from their inception; from being designed, and designed tough for the miners — jeans have always been getting things done. It has been about slipping into them and then doing epic stuff. Come to think of it, the idea and the title 'Just don't bore them' is what defines jeans, and also the youth. It also has a Nike-esque feel to it.
Creative Execution
Diana D'souza: You often see twenty-somethings in denim ads. But this one has a funky kid, an old man, a rodeo; all doing complete justice to the idea. Which is, anyone can rock in a pair of Levi's. They've definitely unzipped a bigger audience. After all, as they say, jeans are democracy in fashion. The track used, beautifully peppers the commercial.
Shameen Khatri:Yes, this ad did not have the poetry of Bukowski or Whitman that had defined the #GoForth campaign, or the goosebump-inducing narration of 'Levi's - The Thread'. But it had visual poetry. Scenes flowed flawlessly and had the rhythm of verse.
The editing was crisp and fast-paced. Themes were youthful, fun and bold. The supers had style. The glitchy way they were edited on screen was super. In fact, even the statutory warnings had character. The scene in which the man dries off his jeans in a moving bus had, in fine print: 'Do not attempt. Most buses require pants.'
And the skateboard stunt scene had: 'Do not attempt. It hurts.' The clichéd frames like young 'un cannon-balling into swimming pools were few and far between. And boring frames, absent.
Brand Connect
Diana D'souza: Their last campaign - Go Forth - was very hipster; this one makes room for everyone. It opens up a very optimistic culture and is definitely inclusive. What clicks is that happy vibe of people having fun in their Levi's.
Shameen Khatri: The ad captured contrast and variation — carrot-top kid versus old gramps, and many others. It had perky self-contradiction — 'unbutton them' versus 'button them' and 'wash them' versus 'don't wash them'. It borrowed from the equal-casting seen in Benetton ads, but that not really a bad thing. It helped encapsulate the jeanification of America, and in turn, the world. The ad spells Levi's in just one frame and then across its sixty seconds.
Brand Recall
Diana D'souza: Levi's walks out with a trophy here. Hard to mistake the ad for any other brand. They've moved out of the exclusive zone, but not lost their classy quotient.
Shameen Khatri: It'll stay with me for a while, especially the music.
