Hitting the Mark from the Start

While Levi’s is the most respected name in denim, the new DENIZEN brand wouldn’t be able to command the same recognition and respect. Furthermore, we had to establish the credibility of this new value-driven sub-brand without eroding the equity of the main Levi’s brand. Finally, we had to compete for attention – both within the busy aisles of Target’s retail stores, and across the larger social media landscape of the fashion industry.

Target shoppers are savvy – they appreciate design, quality and the exclusivity of brand names at a value price. DENIZEN from Levi’s jeans are for “value conscious” consumers who shop for their family based on the quality they trust, from brands they know.

We needed to paint a picture that showcased quality and brand first, “from the people who invented jeans.” From there we could tell a story that distinguished the DENIZEN brand as a family-focused label that would deliver value, quality and style to their customers.

Our launch put DENIZEN jeans in the perfect position to connect with American families, drive them to Target stores to purchase, and turn them into lifelong DENIZEN fans. We dove into marketing research and developed a plan to reach Mom where she spent her time.

The DENIZEN launch campaign spanned over six months and included a few of the busiest times for American families: summer vacation, back-to-school season, and the holidays. This was the perfect opportunity to introduce Levi’s style with Target’s convenience and price point – at times just when busy moms need that most.

We built the DENIZEN brand system and developed a complete library of photography and video assets for all marketing strategies. We shot warm, exuberant lifestyle imagery and paired it with bold, playful copy lines. The combination was a campaign that felt immediately approachable and optimistic to moms everywhere.

A mix of out-of-home media elements helped us paint the picture for DENIZEN jeans. Billboards and bus boards ran in markets across the country, in close proximity to Target stores. We reached moms in movie theaters where on-screen ads ran nationally prior to family movie releases. Box office handouts with a DENIZEN offer drove consumers to the nearest Target store. And we established the brand with dads through a presence in Major League Baseball stadiums, with giveaways and large cardboard thumbs designed to look like the Facebook “Like” icon.

On TV, we created a spot for Target’s “Life is a Moving Target” series of ads that ran nationally. We also created a brand page on Target.com and built out banner advertisements, emails and website takeovers on Channel Red and Target.com. Additionally, we placed prominent ads in Target’s back-to-school mailer and circulars. To incent trial, we extended receipt marketing and RED Magazine coupon offers to specific audiences.

On social media, all marketing efforts drove to the DENIZEN Facebook page where we opened a dialog with our audience, encouraged them to return again, built brand loyalty and created an army of brand ambassadors. In addition, we used Twitter and YouTube to extend our social reach and build excitement around the new brand.

We shared the DENIZEN jeans story with the press by engaging more than 80 bloggers, editors and writers at a major launch event in NYC.

Additionally, we sent samples of jeans to 299 “mommy-bloggers,” who were proud to share the quality and affordability of these great jeans with their followers.

After our successful launch, we kept building equity in the new DENIZEN brand by partnering with COVERGIRL, one of our core women’s go-to brands. We wanted to build trust and incent trial by offering a gift with purchase through a social/ad campaign that tied the brands together.

This campaign offered consumers a free Lip Perfection lipstick with the purchase of women’s DENIZEN jeans at Target during the peak fall period. This offer was promoted through print and online ads, a co-branded microsite and a 360-degree social strategy that inspired women to transform their look from day to night using DENIZEN jeans and a touch of COVERGIRL.