• by Tanya Gazdik , July 1, 2009

The Levi's brand is debuting a brand campaign with the theme "Go Forth." Appropriate for the Independence Day weekend launch, the campaign showcases America's raw, pioneering spirit.

The "Go Forth" mantra will stretch across all key touchpoints for the brand, from product innovation and retail experience to more traditional advertising outlets such as TV, cinema, print, OOH and digital. Campaign elements will reach across North America from Canada to Chile and are scheduled to run through the end of 2009.

This is the first work for the San Francisco-based company from Portland-based Wieden+Kennedy, which won the account in December. The incumbent, Publicis Groupe's New York-based Bartle Bogle Hegarty, did not defend the account, which it had handled since 2001. Major media spending on the brand was nearly $80 million last year, per TNS Media Intelligence.

The campaign includes two spots that will appear both on TV and in-cinema. In-cinema spots are 60 seconds, while TV spots are both 60 and 30 seconds. "America" breaks first, starting this Friday in cinemas in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Boston, New York and Miami. A second spot, "O Pioneer," starts July 24 -- and both will run through the end of August, according to Wieden+Kennedy spokesperson Jane Monaghan.

Both spots, which feature the idealistic spirit and celebrated works of the great American poet Walt Whitman, will be back in cinema in October as well as on TV. TV planning is not finalized yet for that October run, Monaghan says.

"America" is set to what experts believe is Whitman's original recording of his poem of the same name. It features diverse images of American landscapes and portraits of the people who make this country what it is. The message is one of self-reliance, resilience, encouragement and hope. "O Pioneer" is a closer look at the pioneering youth culture of America.

The print begins in July in magazines including Fader, Filter, Vice, Soma, Blackbook, Paper, Anthem, Spin, Interview, ESPN and Metropop, Monaghan tells Marketing Daily. The online banner ads will run on sites including NYT.com, heavy.com, MySpace, break.com and mtv.com. Outdoor will run beginning in July in key youth markets including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

Levi's is positioned as the brand for pioneers who are in the process of building a new America. Their youthful optimism and pioneering energy are at the core of Levi's DNA, and the campaign reminds consumers that Levi's jeans are the jeans of self-reliance, hard work, and an independent, hopeful spirit.

"'Go Forth' is more than a campaign, it is a north star for the brand," said Doug Sweeny, vice president of Levi's brand marketing, in a statement. "The campaign takes the raw, tough, and eternally optimistic spirit that made the Levi's brand great and brings it to life as a clarion call for this generation."

The print and outdoor campaign's imagery captures a sense of youthful optimism and hopefulness for a better tomorrow. Copy including "strike up for the new world," "this country was not built by men in suits" and "will work for better times" serves as an invitation to join in the quest for a new and better world.

"Go Forth Expeditions," an interactive digital program, also launches in early July and invites consumers to participate in the "Go Forth" movement. These expeditions will be a call to the masses to see the world differently, explore the energy of their America and pioneer in their thoughts and actions. Further details about "Go Forth Expeditions" will be announced later this month.

Levi's brand will continue to support events like AIDS Walk and World AIDS Day as well as organizations that are engaged in the fight against AIDS.