As the new CEO — and first woman — of iconic denim brand Levi Strauss & Co., she received word that music legend Beyoncé would name-check her company in the title of a song from her latest album, Cowboy Carter.
In contrast, Levi’s launched a “REIIMAGINE” campaign with Beyoncé herself, who is known for her aversion to brand partnerships.
“It’s like a dream come true to have Beyoncé name a song after your brand,” Gus said in his speech. Luck The Most Powerful Women Summit in Laguna Niguel, California, on Tuesday. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
The title of the song was not an advertisement or a partnership. All Gass and her band Levi got before the album’s release was “a little whisper” just days ago. “It was really quite organic.”
Gus said that Queen Bey’s love for Levi goes back a long time Luck Ellie Austin, and their relationship is one that has been nurtured over time. “She has been a fan of the brand for decades, and we have been fans of hers,” she said. In the ’90s, when Beyoncé was one-third of Destiny’s Child, Levi’s once stocked the entire collection — and the company still keeps a pair of Beyoncé’s jeans “in the basement.”
New Americana
The song Cowboy Carter was written as LEVII’S JEANS, not Levi’s. One of the lawyers asked Gass if she was worried about trademark infringement, she recalled with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Are you crazy? This is a gift.’
Once Levi’s team knew the song was coming, they swung into action, changing all of their social media handles to match the style of the song. “And then it got kind of crazy.” Gus knew it was necessary to seize the opportunity. “Obviously you don’t have those moments very often,” she said. “Once we saw the reaction, (we thought), ‘Maybe there’s something more here.’
A few weeks after the album’s release, Gus had dinner with Levi’s head of market, chief marketing officer, chief production officer, and two top-secret key people in Beyoncé’s orbit. “We were just beginning to reimagine what was possible.”
The 30-second clip in which Beyoncé appears at a laundromat is actually a remake of a movie Similar popular advertising campaign The brand did this in the mid-1980s, Gass said. “The great thing about Levi’s is that we have all this amazing heritage. So (we have to) take that and move forward with one of the biggest icons in the world.”
The entire campaign was put together in five months, from concept to contract signing to filming. “So here we go, and it was a great lesson for the team (about) how to move with speed and agility and capture these moments, because they don’t happen very often.”
Gass said Beyoncé’s campaign generated more than 2.4 billion impressions.
Jas then pointed to her jacket, which was decorated with sparkles. “This was one of several options created for Beyoncé for the photo shoot, but she did not choose to wear it,” she said. “So I should wear it. But I’ll tell you, given all the feedback I’m getting at this conference. I think this will be in production. Stay tuned.”
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