See how Levi’s and Beyoncé recreated the brand’s launderette ad

After a week of hints, Levi’s finally released its new Beyoncé campaign today as the retailer capitalizes on the singer’s recent shoutout. In a new spot called “Reiimagine” the campaign recreates the denim brand’s iconic Laundrette ad from 1985. The 30-second spot shows Beyoncé washing her jeans at a laundromat as her song “Levii’s Jeans” plays. The new ad, which will be the first of several campaign recreations, was directed by Melina Matsoukas, who also directed Levi’s anniversary campaign for its 501 Jeans last year. Levi’s worked with TBWA\Chiat\Day LA on creative duties and de la Revolućion/Prettybird on production. “We have a history of outfitting the world’s changemakers—we like to say we’re the unofficial uniform for progress—and this felt like it made a whole lot of sense,” said Kenny Mitchell, Levi's chief marketing officer, noting that Beyoncé has been a longtime fan of the brand dating back to her days with Destiny’s Child and her sartorial choices over the years. In a statement, the singer said her song celebrates the ultimate “Americana uniform.” She also called out the female perspective of the new video. “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,” she added, noting that she looks forward “to exploring innovative ways for our visions to align in empowering women and honoring their strength.” See Ad Age’s 2024 Breakout Brand Leaders and Work here The original ad, set to Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” showed British singer Nick Kamen walking into a laundromat and stripping down to boxer shorts as he put his 501 jeans in the washer. That ad was created with BBH. The new campaign includes TV, out-of-home, digital, social media, print and brand activations. Levi’s also said that the push will include exclusive products coming out in 2025. Other reimagined ads in the campaign may also include guest appearances, Mitchell added. The Beyoncé collab comes after the singer earlier this year released “Levii’s Jeans” on her “Cowboy Carter” country album. At the time, Mitchell said the brand was “honored” by the inclusion and a testament to Levi’s “enduring relevance.” Last week, Levi’s began teasing the collaboration with social media posts, one of which showed a billboard that read “Reimagined with Beyoncé.” Levi’s plans to release third-quarter results on Wednesday. In its last quarterly report, the retailer reported $1.4 billion in revenue for the quarter ended May 26, an 8% rise over the year-earlier period. Levi’s direct-to-consumer and wholesale businesses were up 8% and 7%, respectively. NextGen Marketing Summit Join us for a crash course on Gen Z, DTC marketing and the creator economy Register today

See how Levi’s and Beyoncé recreated the brand’s launderette ad

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