Friday, August 13, 2010

Levi's Dupes America!

I guess like everyone else, I chose to purposely disregard his meticulously fresh, wrinkle free t-shirts (and pants) and applaud this man's incredibly singular feat of  "walking across America." Actually, I was much more amazed and enthralled with this uniquely original and superbly executed still/video montage. Only to find out after the fact, that it was (as my own eyes attempted to tell what's left of my brain), nothing more than... a Levis' ad!

Which leaves a thoroughly foul taste in one's mouth. And not one single mention of the commercial aspects in the video chronicling the making of it- as if those dedicated twenty somethings poured their own starving artist greenbacks, time and effort into this cross country endeavor simply for... art's sake!



The thing is, I would have been perfectly OK with it- knowing in advance that it was, in fact, an ad. Very discreet brand name placement (not until the very end), despite having product placement front dead center, start to finish- ingenious! Instead, they had to lie and play us like the fools we wanna be!

Is that how wars start?

3 comments:

mark page said...

I was won over and brainwashed by Levi's years ago. the only jeans I wear. I'm a romantic and they sold me the whole American dream. And do you know what on a grey cold Lacashire day I sometimes need that little dream.I pull em on and I'm Bruce on the cover of Born in USA, only older and fatter and from North-West England... All together now! RIDING IN TO DARLINGTON COUNTY, I SEE THE GLORY OF THE COMING OF THE LORD..

Anonymous said...

I wear Carhartt myself - in part because they are (or until recently all) Union made, in part because living where I live (rural Western NY) and being an egghead type, I need all the branding I can get just to keep the neighbors from getting too suspicious! wearing the right jeans is more plausible than having a perpetually empty gun rack in the Subaru.

Stan B. said...

Gee, guys- I gotta tell yas, I don't wear the denim at all. It's kinda my way of stickin' it to the man.

Jim- What if you festoon that empty gun rack with decorative floral garlands? Wouldn't that put you well beyond suspicion?