China lacks jeans 'culture'? Levi's declares otherwise

Client: Levi's

Agency: FCB Shanghai

Markets: Greater China

Campaign scope: Online video, Weibo, WeChat , Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Background: The new "Live in Levi's" campaign launched globally in July and hit China in localised form starting last week. Driven by TVCs starring Hong Kong actor Shawn Yue (余文乐) and Chinese pop singer Ivy (艾菲), it hopes to inspire more stories of people who "live in their jeans" with the hashtag #活出趣#.

Press release quote: Jeremy Chan (陈祖贻), marketing director of Greater China for Levi’s: “The brand influencers are true, authentic, and are naturally part of the 'Live in Levi’s(R)' concept. Shawn Yue has stayed true and authentic for all these years he has been acting and singing. Ai Fei has true musical talent, is authentic and has worked her way up to fame from humble beginnings. Heroes like Ai Fei and Shawn Yue are great individuals to help Levi’s to connect with the post-80s and 90s."

Comments: "Wear them, dare them, abuse them, share them, rock them, strut them, snap them, play them or shine in them," beseeches the brand. "One can do anything in a pair of Levi's. Just don't bore them." FCB Shanghai’s campaign idea tries to overcome the challenge of China having no jeans 'culture' and thus no emotional connection with either denim or Levi's. By attaching attitudinal attributes to the clothing material, FCB taps into the Chinese's need for self-expression and reasserts the brand's status in the jeans category. It is a broader execution than Wieden's previous fall campaign 'Let your body do the talking', which specifically targeted petite Chinese women.

Credits:

Agency: FCB Shanghai
Chief Executive Officer: Edward Bell
Deputy Executive Creative Director: Alvin Lim
General Manager: Josephine Pan
Planners: Matthew Wilcox, Tommy Tai
Creative Director: Tiger Chen
Art Director: Ashley Chin
Copywriters: Rox Kan, Silver Zhang
Account Servicing: Mung Ng, Selina Yi, Darlene Huang
Creative Services: Joanna Goh, Ken Wang