The ad, called "stampede", was created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty in New York and will debut during the second quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl XXXVII in a 60-second spot.
It juxtaposes Old West imagery with a modern background and shows a young couple strolling through the streets of an unnamed city, that is not fixed in any particular time period.
Simultaneously, as the couple walk, a herd of bison rumbles through the city. As they are charging towards the couple, the young man and woman turn to face the bison, and the stampede parts around them. The ad finishes with the line "Levi's Type 1 Jeans. Bold since 1873".
The ad is in stark contrast to the approach taken by Bartle Bogle Hegarty in London for the European launch of Type 1 Jeans, where the creative team has chosen to superimpose the heads of mice on models, in an ad where "mice people" will kidnap a wealthy woman's cat.
The creative team on "stampede" was art director Gavin Lester, copywriter Anthony Goldstein; and creative director Thomas Hayo. The ad was directed by Jorn Haagen through Academy.
With Type 1 Jeans, Levi's is aiming to draw on its brand heritage while appealing to a more stylish market. The jeans are characterised by oversized rivets and buttons, distinctive back patch-pockets and back-pocket red tab, and accentuated stitching.
Anna Brockway, marketing director for the Levi's brand in the US, said: "'Stampede' conveys the bold personality of Levi's Type 1 Jeans and the people who wear them. The ad for these jeans celebrates the bold, pioneering spirit that has allowed Levi Strauss & Co to produce the most successful and widely recognised jeanswear for over a century."
As well as appearing during the Super Bowl game, "stampede" will appear in both 60- and 30-second formats until August 2003, supported by a print and outdoor campaign.
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