Introduction
'Levi Strauss & Co is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans.' In 1873, Levi Strauss & Co started its business from supplying denim jeans to miners. This brand is associated with the American culture from its early 19th century and is still popular all over the world nowadays, as the company always knew what the customers wanted and tried to make the product fit for them, according to the Levi Strauss & Co history. Within every change in the cultural diversity of the USA the company was improving the jeans to be on trend with customers and fashion in order to operate on the market. Moreover, the evidence for these successful changes is visible today, as the brand not only managed to overwhelm the difficulties, but consequently conquer the hearts of the American residents and generations around the world.
The first type of advertising
While the United States of America were developing and people there were exploring the territory, land and its natural resources, they discovered gold under the earth's surface, in the mines. In January, 1848, James W. Marshall, found a shiny yellow piece of metal, wandering along the tailrace on the American River. Afterwards the inspection, he claimed that it was a gold nugget. At that time, with reference to 'History of California' written by Hubert Howe, the famous Gold Rush took place in California. Miners were working hard in order to search for more gold pieces. However, miners needed a strong, high quality material for clothes, so that it would not be torn steadily and quickly. For this reason, in 1872, Davis, who was making riveted clothes, sent a letter to Strauss asking for partnership to introduce and patent a new type of clothes with rivets. After a successful agreement between Davis and Strauss, the Levi Strauss & Co consequently began to produce denim jeans with copper rivets. As the result, the copper rivets were placed on the pockets and at the bottom of jeans made the clothes strong and safe enough not to get torn and protected miners from injures. The mentioned before action of understanding the difficulty of the working society and a fast solution benefited the company and promoted it to the next level of selling denim jeans. The Levi's jeans were admired by the American nation, as the organization was ruminating about their customers, especially people of the working class in the USA.
In order to increase the loyalty in the consumers, the company introduced the first type of advertising of the brand, which was a leather fragment on the waist part of Levi Strauss & Co.'s jeans. There were two horses pulling the jeans in opposite directions from each other on that leather part of the product, as we can see from Appendix 1. In addition, the caption claimed, that jeans could not be torn in any way. The metaphor on the picture tried to convince the customers that they should consume Levi Strauss & Co jeans due to the quality of the product. In view of the strengths of the jeans, thus even under the horse power they were not torn apart. Hence, the advertisement was flourishingly gaining people's confidence in purchasing the product. However, this is absolutely what the company was aiming for.
Cowboys and advertising
Cowboys have always represented the American culture, as well as introducing the culture of their own. However, as social media were developing through the time the Hollywood film industry started to realising the films about cowboys, representing the stereotypical image of the wild, firm men. Nonetheless, they played a huge role in the history of the USA, participating in the revolutions and sometimes committing crimes. Cowboys needed steady and reliable material for their trousers due to the fast horseback riding. Jeans had a reliable material, that could be used. Therefore, cowboys were demonstrated in the films wearing jeans. Hollywood films became popular, as well as 'Wild West' and cowboys. In the 1930s, Levi Strauss & Co started advertising their jeans among the cowboys and people, who were fascinating with the idea of being resembled wild, firm men according to the history of jeans on the popular website 'Newint.org'. Levi Strauss & Co highlighted the strengths of their jeans, as important quality- comfort, strong material and the possibility of fast movements. Cowboys were used in advertisements in order to attract consumers.
With reference to the picture in the Appendix 2, the company convinced consumers in their ability of making the right decision and realizing what fits them. If we look at the caption: 'Go to your rodeo- America's own exciting sport', which was put with the intention of interconnection between the American culture and Levi's jeans, people immediately started trusting the brand. Supplementary, turning to the greatest advantage of this advertisement, apart from the remarkably successful idea of the relation between culture and the product, was the interpretation of the word 'rugged' usually used with inanimate objects, as the words 'forceful' and 'courageous' in the way of describing people. As a consequence, customers were buying 'rugged' Levi's jeans, on an account of the given impression of the association with culture.
On the other hand, the advertisement of the cowboys created the impression of freedom. Americans could enjoy the comfort and the related ideas of the power of independence. These fundamental and at the same time crucial moments in advertising, especially the understanding of people's wishes and thoughts made the brand lucrative in trading and being able to operate on the market.
Lady Levis
The first Levi's jeans, that were manufactured entirely for women were introduced in the West of the United states of America in 1934 according to the official Levi Strauss & Co website 'http://www.levi.co.uk'. The company changed its brand to 'Lady Levis', which was venerated by the western American women working on ranches and promptly captivated women in the eastern part of the USA. Furthermore, women were wearing jeans with the purpose of showing the gender equality.
A picture in the Appendix 3 illustrates the women, who creates a thought in customers' mind, as if she is actually shouting the caption out loud 'Come and get 'em'. Even though, the image can be judged for the hidden sense of sexism inside, because the woman is cooking there, which always bounds with a stereotype, her cheerful mood makes the clients smile as well. This powerful use of this advertising strategy creates a relationship between the Levi's jeans and happiness, laughter, exhilaration and optimism. What is more, different colors of the advertisement develop an idea of enjoyment and delight in the mind. In addition, a very simple, straightforward and informal caption makes a comfortable 'conversation' between the audience and the woman in the picture. In consequence, jeans appeared in an enormous amount of women's wardrobe.
Further advertisements
Levi's jeans attracted both men and women at that time. Consequently, different brands appeared in the market, as for example 'Lee Cooper' or 'Wrangler', competing with the Levis & Co industry. That is why, for this particular reason, with the purpose of differentiation Levi's jeans from other brands the company made a red tab with white capital letters 'LEVIS'. Nevertheless, this alertness affected customers indubitably and increased the demand for the product, where the evidence can be the ability of the brand trade even nowadays.
Owing to the World War II Levis & Co had to change their product slightly with the intention of the rules, that were proposed because of the preservation of metal and other materials. During the war time the advertisements inspired people, talking about freedom they must have. That is to say, whenever any change appeared in the history or the cultural diversity of the United States of America the Levi & Co industry were always ready to react and adapt in that change, even though it was the war time.
In the 1950s, jeans became popular among the young generation. However, not to mention the fact that jeans also symbolized the time of the riots, because they were related to the informal, casual clothes for the working class. Social media demonstrated rebels, wearing jeans. Therefore, jeans were prohibited as a school uniform, especially in the eastern part of the USA, according to the government fears of the teenagers having a bad influence. Furthermore, the government was terrified with the consequences, that it was able to lead to a sort of revolution or teenagers were able to go against the them. Nevertheless, Levi Strauss & Co continued releasing the advertisements with jeans as the school uniform. The embargo made young people among the school age eager to wear jeans.
In the advertisement from Appendix 4 a young man was illustrated wearing jeans and the audience was able to see him going to his school. Regardless of the fact that the picture itself captivated people's attention, because of the colorful clothes of a teenager, the school was still drawn light- blue and white. It suggested that school and rules would never stand above your own opinion and your thoughts, returning to the idea of freedom. The slogan said: 'American finest overall since 1850', it bounded the history of the United States of America with Levi's jeans. The caption claimed: 'Right for school', in other words, it persuaded teenagers to wear the Levi Strauss & Co brand jeans. Generally, it was a very provocative advertisement, due to the fact that jeans were not allowed to be worn by students during the school time in the early 1950s.
In the late 1950s, the Levi Strauss & Co industry altered their advertising from the school uniform to a leisure theme, on the grounds of the occurring calm days. Needless to say, that a further advantage of the advertisements was the idea of establishing it for both genders. Apart from that, jeans became popular among the hippies and rock stars and surpassed around the USA. Consequently, it was beloved by children, men and women. Finally, Levi's jeans were accumulated almost in each wardrobe of each house due to the increasing popularity among the society.
'In 1985, Levi's changed denim advertising history forever with its high brow ad, 'Launderette' with reference to the website 'www.wgsn.com'. 'Launderette' was an abridged video, reminding the viewers about the past time, nonetheless introducing the diverted impression of the United States of America in 1950s. What is more, the advertising video emphasized 'sexy' theme, due to the fact that a man was left in his underwear and socks at the end. Even though the video notified nostalgia, it was brand-new for Levi Strauss & Co and helped the industry operating in the market of jeans. The advertisement was very successful due to the sense of humor and the relation to the past time in it.
Modern advertisements
Nowadays, jeans are popular among the young people in the United States of America. In 2009, the Levi's brand released the new slogan: 'Live unbuttoned' in view of advertising among the young people. Therefore, in the image in the Appendix 5 we can see a couple wearing unbuttoned jeans. The concept of wearing unbuttoned clothes gives us a relation between jeans, passion, sex and freedom. In the picture the man has a tattoo and a pierced ear and a woman has a strong make up. Both the man and the woman in the advertisement definitely represent the modern generation of the USA, for this reason the contemporary advertisement attracted the younger customers to buy the Levi Strauss & Co jeans. In addition, not only the younger generation was consuming the jeans in order to follow the trend, bot the older one in order to refresh the wardrobe as well as themselves, to feel the strength of youth the have experienced before.
'Levi's latest round of TV commercials for its 501 jeans line features the same commercial produced in two different versions – one for straight audiences, the other for the gay demographic.' ' was reported on the 'adage.com' website. Levi Strauss & Co was always on trend with their customers and the surrounding world, so the company made two short videos of an advertising type, having the same context inside, however, with two different endings. In the first video the main male character ended up going away with a woman, in the second one- with a man, showing the absolute equality between the couples of one gender and the couples of two different genders. This advertisement successfully brought the attention to the company and made it more popular all around the world. Despite the rejection of it in some parts of the planet, it was admired by the people of the USA, who were aiming for the next level in evolution of one gender relationships, bringing the brand and the American society together again.
Conclusion
In the modern world jeans are worn all around the world. Apart from this, jeans were designed in different ways, so they are able to fit everyone. However, some people often claim that jeans have their origin in the United States of America. Levi Strauss & Co faced and followed the changes in cultural diversity of the USA, as a result the company is used to be associated with jeans. What is more, Levi's jeans are linked with the history of the USA and considered to be one of the greatest American products. Always reaching the greatest desires of the mind of their customers, the company knew how to successfully advertise in order to attract the attention and be admired by the people. In addition, Levi Strauss & Co were never afraid to touch and rise the topics of the issues occurring all around the world, whatever it will be as war, gender equality, freedom, changes in the generations or one gender relationships. The relationship between the American history and culture grew up the devotion and loyalty in the customers of the brand. Therefore, the advertisements were just a fundamental concept in reaching the American nation's heart.