In a new ad campaign for Levi’s 501 jeans, a man and a woman slowly make their way up a darkened stairwell, simultaneously unbuttoning their jeans and debunking a series of little white lies they’ve apparently been telling each other all evening.
He’s not really in a band. She doesn’t really work for a label. And so on, until the woman finally admits, "This isn’t really my apartment." At that point, the guy looks briefly at a series of family photos that are clearly not hers, before they solve that particular problem by turning out the lights.
Of course, there are those who will disavow "Secrets and Lies" for promoting sex with strangers, and perhaps, lying. But seen another way, the ad isn’t just entertaining; it’s also uplifting.
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| Levi's (click image to play ad) |
For one thing, the couple in question is 'fessing up to their transgressions of truth, and before doing the deed, no less. For another, it’s a light-hearted way of poking fun at the type of thing that likely goes on in a bar in every city, every night of the week.
Perhaps more important, while a sex-and-lies ad could come off as cheap and cheesy, this one comes off as witty and ironic.
The ad also is in keeping with the funny yet sexy feel that 501 jeans commercials have been known for since at least the mid-1980s, when it aired its infamous, and still memorable, Laundromat commercial. (Last year, Levi’s also turned heads with a 501 commercial with two possible endings, one featuring a gay couple and the other a straight couple.)
Even if "Secrets and Lies" offends some, chances are Levi’s will think it’s worth the risk.
The onslaught of pricey, trendy denim over the past few years has left Levi’s vulnerable to having its jeans relegated to the racks where all the basic but boring clothes live. By taking risks with edgy commercials, the company gives itself a shot at staying relevant.
"Secrets and Lies" is part of a series of new spots that also includes "First Time," in which a young man and woman flirtatiously banter about doing something that at least one of them has never done before. Needless to say, it’s not what you think.
To watch "Secrets and Lies," click here.
