Levi's extends 501 Anti-Fit online with video messaging

by Staff,, Brand Republic 26-May-04, 08:00

LONDON – Levi's Europe has launched its first major online campaign in two years, created by its digital agency Lateral as part of the TV campaign for its 501 Anti-Fit jeans.

The campaign is looking to build online brand awareness and develop the theme created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty's "Anti-Fit" campaign, as well as drive registrations to Levi's email programme.

It centres on the Levi's Video Mixer, which allows users to create digital fridge-magnet-style messages using two actors from the TV campaign and send them to each other.

The "Anti-Fit" campaign was launched in January and marked a departure from the more epic style of ads with a more urban street approach. One of the ads shows a boy cheekily putting chocolate sauce on a hotdog and in another two people talk about the cut of their jeans in Spanish. A third execution shows a man explaining to a bemused, silent doorman why he will not be let into the club.

Brand director Mark Garstka said that the campaign celebrates the Anti-Fit nature of the 501 jeans, showcasing new ways to wear 501s that are more in line with today's trends.

Online, the concept extends an idea that was originally developed for the European Levi's site and takes rich media advertising to new limits by offering more than 20Mb of material for users to choose from.

The Video Mixer is supported by a series of "Banners with Attitude" developed for non-rich media placement, which again focus on the irreverent Anti-Fit message.

Helene Venge, digital marketing manager of Levi's Europe, said: "Levi's has a long and established heritage of developing innovative online campaigns and we've tried our best to live up to that expectation."

Media planning and buying was handled locally by Levi's European agencies and coordinated centrally by Starcom Motive in London.

The campaign follows recent new additions to the Levi's Europe website, which targets the 15- to 24-year-old market.

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