Shoppable Levi's Video Tells Fan Stories
Levi’s has unveiled a new campaign, the Live in Levi’s Project, which combines storytelling with social media and e-commerce in an interactive video.
Levi’s has unveiled a new campaign, the Live in Levi’s Project, which combines storytelling with social media and e-commerce in an interactive video.
Denim brand Levi’s has released the “Live in Levi’s Project,” a digital platform consisting of a shoppable film and other social media content, to encourage its fans to share their own Levi’s stories.
The campaign was created in partnership with self-proclaimed “ideas and innovation company” AKQA. It was launched with an online video filmed in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai, in collaboration with editorial and production company Monster Children.
The film features a mix of stories to show how fans live, work and play in Levi’s, including pop music duo Sleigh Bells’ vocalist Alexis Krauss, fashion editor Julia Sarr-Jamois and other recognizable names in fashion, music, and culture.
Viewers can explore each individual story at any point in the video. If they like a specific outfit in the film, they can access photo galleries, product information and links to shop for the items during viewing.
Additionally, the project encourages fans to share their own real-life Levi’s moments by using the hashtag #LiveInLevis across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and microblogging site Weibo. The fan-generated content will be curated across digital channels.
“Our goal is to engage Levi’s fans from around the world — past, present and future — and inspire then to share their stories,” says Louisa Moya, client partner of AKQA. “The shoppable nature of the social platform and film allows them to discover and purchase Levi’s iconic products while they are at it.”
It’s still too early to measure the campaign, but Moya says the initial reception has been “fantastic.”
The highlight of this project, industry insiders say, is the innovative use of storytelling in an interactive video.
“The online concept of community is both very connected and very disconnected. We’re becoming comfortable with the idea of ‘knowing’ people we’ve never met and the Levi’s project is a great example of using that new understanding of connection to speak to potential customers,” says Caleb Hanson, vice president (VP) of product at Rapt Media, a developer of interactive digital video technologies and services.
To build such connection, Hanson notes, brands need genuine people who are likeable and relatable to tell their stories.
“They need to love your product and they need to tell an interesting story that portrays your brand in the right light. You cannot script them, otherwise they would come off sounding stiff. The Levi’s content is great this way,” he adds, referring to the mix of characters in the shoppable film.
The project employs lots of interactive technologies. However, since the video launches in the native player on mobile phones, the full interactive experience is not available on mobile.
“It’s disappointing. But there are very few interactive technologies that can play on mobile, which makes it difficult to really engage users wherever they are,” Hanson comments.
Levi’s will continue rolling out the project across global markets in the coming weeks.
Homepage image via Shutterstock.