A funny thing happened on the way to getting dressed
Posted: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 3:00 AM by Allison Linn
Filed Under:
Clothing
In the newest ad for Levi’s 501 jeans, a guy opens up a box and takes out a new pair of jeans. As he pulls the pants on, the entire street below him magically rises into his apartment as well -- carrying with it an attractive stranger who happens to be standing in a nearby phone booth. The two exchange a meaningful look and walk off into the night, arms touching flirtatiously.
If you’re like a lot of people, you’ll immediately think: Wait, who uses a pay phone anymore? But what’s really likely to get people’s attention is that the stranger in the phone booth is a woman in one version of this ad and a man in another.
The gay version of the ad is currently airing only on the gay- and lesbian-themed Logo channel, although Levi Strauss & Co. said it does have plans to air it on other cable stations with both gay and straight audiences.
Levi’s has done some limited marketing to the gay community since the late 1990s. Still, Robert Cameron, the jeans maker’s vice president of marketing, said he’s actually struck by the fact that the apparel company didn’t make a bigger effort, like this one, sooner.
“I think what’s surprising is how long it’s taken us to get there,” Cameron said. “Just to put (a commercial) on a gay-targeted channel like Logo that actually reflects the people who are watching it shouldn’t be such a radical notion. It really shouldn’t be.”
It is surprising that, in 2007, there are still so few mainstream companies making commercials specifically aimed at a demographic -- gay men -- that is known to have significant discretionary spending power. But even as gay TV characters and public figures have gained more acceptance, plenty of companies have faced considerable backlash for supporting gay causes.
Levi’s move isn’t so groundbreaking that the company can be lauded for changing the world, or even substantially challenging the status quo. But it should be given credit for doing what companies are supposed to do -- recognizing a market with more profit potential, and going after it.
Click here to watch the straight version of the ad and click here to watch the gay version.
