How to celebrate an icon: 150 years of Levi’s® 501® and what I’ve learned so far

The Levi’s® 501® turned 150 years old this year - and the work pant that launched a million copies continues to be one of the “must haves” of every great wardrobe. That’s in part because it evolved over the years alongside our consumers without every losing its essence. But mostly because the millions of stories it represents have transformed it into an icon.

While we are all working hard to continue earning a place at the center of culture for the 501® and for the Levi’s® brand, I wanted to recognise and share the business lessons learned this year that will be a great asset to help shape future strategies.

1)     PLAN, BUT LEAVE SPACE FOR NEW IDEAS 

We started working on the plan for this year 18 months ago, launched our #GreatestStoryEverWorn campaign in February and premiered our commercials at the Grammy Awards. We planned pop-up Levi’s® 501® Experiences in key global cities, including London and our hometown of San Francisco, among others, and secured premium outdoor spaces everywhere from Piccadilly Circus to Hermannplatz. But some of the magic fell into place later, by reading the response of our partners and fans. We adapted the marketing mix, the product flow, the partnerships in place and even the meeting cadence based on learnings. We were able to secure partnerships with artists and global talent that resonated with our values like Alicia Awa in Germany. And we co-created murals, art installations and products that expanded the 501®jean universe. Sometimes magic comes from unexpected places.

2)      PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH STORIES

Part of what makes the 501® jean more than just a garment is how it becomes the perfect canvas for self-expression. The marketing campaign this year is centered on people stories from around the world and required us to mine from thousands of products preserved in our archives, each of them with a real-life episode attached. Then what better way to celebrate it than to expand the narrative and invite others to add new chapters? From a Vogue photocall for submissions for artists’ own 501® stories, to our store teams and employees sharing their unique take on the 501®, all the way through to our own fans sharing their stories on social - our Greatest Story Ever Worn campaign opened up a world of engagement possibilities, and we’re still on that year-long journey.

3)     REPETITION BUILDS REPUTATION

Consistency wins. When it comes to creating immersive, cohesive and engaging experiences that can turn a casual shopper into a lifelong fan, all touchpoints have to come together in a seamless way. To create moments that have more impact than the sum of their parts you cannot think in silos: digital or physical, retail or wholesale, employees or consumers - the reality is that we experience brands in increasingly hybrid ways. Even if we love great stitching on our jeans, our fans’ brand experiences should be seamless.

We owe a lot this year to our franchise, wholesale customers, media partners, friends of the brand and employees who have embraced the greatest story ever worn together with us and executed brilliantly.

4)     HAVE SOME FUN

You know, the kind that brings teams together in meaningful ways. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the patent that launched the 501®, our team members got together to ride 150 miles in Germany from our offices in Offenbach, to Buttenheim - the home town of our founder, Levi Strauss – to hand deliver a pair of anniversary jeans to the Levi Strauss & Co. Museum. Our families and friends joined us in the celebration and it was both a reminder of how long we’ve come and all that we can still accomplish together as a winning team. And in case you’re wondering: yes, the cycling gear included Levi’s® denim details.

5)     MUCH MORE THAN A PAIR OF JEANS

The work and the passion of our teams all come together to create experiences that make a pair of 501® jeans something more. We Live in Levi’s® and for good reason. They’re the uniform of innovators, artists and culture builders. They’re beloved across age groups, geographies and every other identifier. They are Greatest Story Ever Worn.