Beyoncé Teams Up With Levi’s for a Remake of the 1980s ‘Launderette Ad’
Photo Credit: Levi’s
Levi’s has released a new ad campaign featuring Queen Bey and her song “Levii’s Jeans” in a classic re-imagining of a commercial from 1985.The 30-second ad spot features Beyoncé washing her jeans at a laundromat with the song playing in the background. The ad is the first of several campaign spots to feature the pop star and Levi’s jeans. The campaign was directed by Melina Matsoukas.
“We have a history of outfitting the world’s change makers — we like to say we’re the unofficial uniform for progress — and this felt like it made a whole lot of sense,” says Kenny Mitchell, Levi’s Chief Marketing Officer. Beyoncé celebrated Levi’s, calling it the ultimate “Americana uniform.”
“Denim on denim has often been seen through a male lens, so this reimagining campaign, which celebrates the iconic female perspective, is important to me,” Beyoncé says about the ad campaign. She says she looks forward to “exploring innovative ways for our visions to align in empowering women and honoring their strength.”
The original 1985 Launderette ad spot featured British singer Nick Kamen walking into a laundromat and stripping down to boxer shorts. Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” plays in the background. The new campaign includes TV, out-of-home, digital, social media, print, and brand activations. Levi’s will also promote exclusive products coming out in 2025 through the activation, with other guest appearances. These other guest appearances have not been revealed yet.
Levis’ teased the new collaboration last week with social media posts, one of which showcased a billboard with the words, “Reimagined with Beyoncé.” Levi’s last quarterly report revealed $1.4 billion in revenue for the quarter ending May 26. The denim company’s direct-to-consumer business and wholesale businesses were up 8% and 7% respectively. Levi’s is hoping this brand collab with Beyoncé will push its direct-to-consumer business to new heights.