Levi's Brings Us Back to the First Time
Levi's is Ad Land's Lolita: perennially young, sexually voracious.
"First Time," a spot for the "Live Unbuttoned" campaign, holds that reputation up nicely. In it, two beautiful adolescents stand face to face in the open air, unbuttoning their jeans.
"You've never done this before, right?" she asks.
"No," he murmurs.
"It's my thirty-fourth time." O_O
They volley around a few more cliches: I'm scared. Don't you trust me? Then, after the long unbutton -- what's Levi's got against zippers? -- nuddified boy and girl take hands and leap off a high dock: as good a metaphor for losing your innocence as any.
Pretty work by the would-be John Hugheses at BBH/London. Good media placement, too: I saw it last night during Heroes, which is positively bursting with hormonal tension.
Comments
I love this ad because of the metaphor. It's a great way to include even the most conservative viewer. We all know what we are thinking, but will the religious right admit it?
I believe she says, "It's my thirty-fourth time", rather than "It's my very first time." as you've indicated. It rather changes the impression one gets of the ad! Do correct me if I'm wrong...
@Patrick I think you're right. Yowza.
I believe the BBH new york office did this spot.
Like everything Levi's has done for the last few years, this is another contrived attempt to get in touch with "the youth" (who get their media elsewhere... only their conservative parents still pay attention to broadcast ads). When will this company get that the minute they stopped leading and started chasing coolness, they stopped being unique and just became like every other clothing company. They need to be themselves: quality, original, American icon. The cool will follow...
Also, the flat 14 year old girl isn't particularly sexy, unless you are on this new Megan's law social networking site I've been hearing about.
The spot ends for me at :10 when it's impossible not to realize she's talking about skinnydipping. Then at the end it's just disappointment when they don't even take off all their clothes.
Swap the M Ward song for something more toe-tapping and it's Old Navy.