In a move that attempts to marry nostalgia with star power, Levi’s teamed up with none other than Beyoncé in its latest campaign titled “Reiimagine,” with a reinterpretation of the 1985 classic “Launderette.” According to the brand, the original “Launderette” ad boosted Levi’s 501 jeans sales by a whopping 800%.
In collaboration with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, Beyoncé takes the reins with her own track “Levii’s Jeans”. The brand intended to reinterpret the “denim on denim” look through the female lens, challenging traditional perceptions and celebrating the female perspective.
The campaign is a multifaceted endeavor, spanning television, digital platforms, and social media.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the campaign.
The Details:
- Overall, “Launderette” profiled quite similarly with Gap’s latest :60 spot also featuring current music and celebrity (Troye Sivan), with both drawing Attention well and reminding 84% of viewers of their respective brands:
- Neither ad intended to inform on the product details, which was reflected in low Information scores that dragged down overall response metrics.
- However, neither spot ranked as particularly Relevant/relatable or Likeable to American viewers vs the average apparel ad over the past year.
- Both saw the music as disproportionately important to the viewer experience, with the visuals in the Gap spot standing out while Beyoncé obviously did in “Launderette.”
- Neither ad intended to inform on the product details, which was reflected in low Information scores that dragged down overall response metrics.
- However, the two ads differed in response across gender, with Levi’s “Launderette” (perhaps surprisingly vs. the brand’s intent) being rated quite negatively by American women:
- In fact, women found the spot to be Exploitative in nature rather than Empowering, with younger women (16-20) expressing this response at a lesser but still notable level vs. females 21-35 and 36-49. Males 16-20 expressed similar concerns.
- Emotional profiling across gender suggests that the portrayal in the new “Launderette” spot was highly concerning to female viewers, with strong incredulity sparked in response to the Inappropriate, Risqué, and Irksome spot:
- For some women, the ad was Funny but for others, WTF and Awful response was spiked while male viewers largely enjoyed the Sexy nature of the presentation.
- Comments from the female audience on “Launderette” :30 reflect the fact that Beyoncé is a polarizing celebrity (particularly given current news cycles), but many didn’t feel the ad placed enough emphasis on the Levi’s product and simply relied on ‘sexy’ to sell:
- Some women also got stuck on the substance poured into the washing machine, which confused and distracted from the narrative.
- It did not appear that most viewers referenced or recalled the original “Launderette” spot so the impact of the Reiimagined nature of the ad was largely lost. Other media placements that can reference this positioning could see other results.
- Some women also got stuck on the substance poured into the washing machine, which confused and distracted from the narrative.
Sample female verbatims on “Launderette” :30
“I was totally mesmerized by Beyoncé in this ad. Her presence almost overshadowed the product. Other than Levi’s… I have no idea what the actual Levi’s product was because I was watching Beyoncé. That being said, I did not enjoy watching Beyoncé disrobe in this ad. After all, she’s a mom and it’s all a bit much for me. Keep Beyoncé but deemphasize all the sexy stuff and feature the brand more.”
Female 36-49
“I love that Beyoncé is the star of the ad as Levi’s fit well with her new album aesthetic and I think it would reach an audience that may not typically purchase Levi’s.”
Female 21-35
“Didn’t like the jean hat, weird. Didn’t enjoy a weirdly sexualized woman for jeans, didn’t enjoy that children were included in this sexual-ish ad, why did she put glitter in the washing machine? What are they selling with this messaging?”
Female 16-20
“I was excited to see that Beyoncé was featured in the ad but then was quickly disappointed when I saw her being overly sexualized.”
Female 21-35
“This ad was sexist and trashy. It was hard to tell what the point was or why she took off her pants in front of customers and added a bucket of diamonds. Still not sure if it was supposed to be diamonds? What was this even advertising? It made no sense at all and was confusing.”
Female 36-49
“Not for children. Not a good candidate to be promoting the product considering recent allegations with her and her husband. This ad is not the right way to spread this message and I’m SURE there were better people for this role.”
Female 21-35
Beyoncé’s great. If Levi’s actually makes comfortable jeans for curvy women, I’m interested.”
Female 36-49
“Getting Beyoncé to actually promote a brand is very special and I think that will bring in big profit.”
Female 21-35
“Well obviously sex sells, for some. Definitely not “influenced” to buy Levi’s.”
Female 36-49
- After a single viewing, four in ten female viewers reported positive intent for Levi’s (vs a norm of 46%), with 21% reporting being turned off from the brand by the ad (+11 pts higher than the average apparel ad):
- The ad’s negative impact was less severe among Black/African American women, but consideration should be given to the risks associated with airing this creative given the strong negative impressions left within the target it was intended for.
- Among male viewers, 53% reported positive intent (+3 pts vs norm) and response was positive across ethnicity.
- The ad’s negative impact was less severe among Black/African American women, but consideration should be given to the risks associated with airing this creative given the strong negative impressions left within the target it was intended for.
- Response to “Launderette” by gender was consistent whether children were present in the household or not:
Ineffective creative, even if delivered to the right audience, results in missed opportunity and performance shortfalls. Great creative delivered poorly also results in failed campaigns.
Schedule a demo to find out how your brand can partner with iSpot to quickly solve both challenges simultaneously, delivering high-performing creative while boosting the effectiveness of planning and in-market execution to achieve—and outperform—campaign objectives.
Creative Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day LA