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Every once in a while someone conceives of a commercial campaign that hits with the realness, poignancy and vision reminiscent of the Great American Novel (adapted of course for a commercially saturated generation with a 30 second attention span); a commercial which captures the frustrations and aspirations of its time and holds them to the light of the nation’s most cherished ideals.
In its summer campaign titled “Go Forth”, Levi’s achieved this in a poetically compelling and commercially brilliant way. The two commercials produced by Wieden+Kennedy (of Old Spice fame) are set to grainy 1890s recordings of Walt Whitman reciting two of his masterful odes to the intrepid American spirit, “Pioneers! O Pioneers!” and “America”.
The first commercial opens with a young man standing in the wilderness at dusk, flaming torch in hand. As thunder rolls in the background, Whitman’s words, “Pioneers! O Pioneers! Come, my tan-faced children, Follow well in order, get your weapons ready,” sound like the rallying call of a generation and in every corner of the nation young people look up as if suddenly alert to the possibility and adventure in the world. Whitman’s recitation continues over images of young people gathering, suiting up in jeans, and preparing to emerge from concrete cities into nature, danger and the unknown.
The second commercial opens to a night scene, dimly lit by a flickering neon sign that reads “America”. The sign is crooked and half-submerged in water and the debris in the background suggest a city in decay. As flares explode over the sign, alluding powerfully to a certain poignant verse in the national anthem, Whitman begins, “America. Center of equal daughters, equal sons. All, all alike endear'd”. The images that follow – derelict apartment buildings, violent protest – tell of troubled times while others – young, vibrant, muscled people flexing, climbing, jumping, kissing – allude to an enduring strength and beauty in the American character.
The commercials tap deep into the consciousness of today’s youth – teens and twenty-somethings increasingly disillusioned with the world they are inheriting; they tell a story about corruption and decay, crisis and stagnation but also about great American ideals, how they endure and how they can be recaptured. “What happened to that pioneering American spirit?” the commercials seem to beg of the viewer. “What happened to that brazenness looked west across America at danger and the unknown and saw opportunity?”
As much as I hate to see great American literature coopted to sell clothes, I have to hand it to Levi's and W+K for feeling the pulse of a generation. What's more, I really hope Gen Y can recapture some of these ideals, and more than just aesthetically. For the web piece of the Levi's campaign, W+K invented the fictional character Grayson Ozias. I hate to quote a commercial gimick, maybe there is something valuable we can take from him:
"I left my home and all I knew because I feared the complacency that was growing in me. I feared that I would be content to never experience anything of America beyond the city in which I was born. But after hearing Whitman, this complacency became unthinkable, and my comfort became my greatest burden."
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Comments
03.18.10
Wow, this is so great. I'm a huge Walt Whitman fan, and these are commercials I actually stop to watch on tv. They work wonders when you need a something to get the passion flowing. It's getting you primed for those O Captain! My Captain! moments (Whitman rocking again). I know it's hard when you have brands taking on something as powerful an icon as Whitman, but at the same time, Levi's was there (founded in 1853). If anything, they have every right to embrace Walt Whitman. Not that this actually happened, but I can imagine Levi's and Walt sitting around a table talking brand passion. The business started with bolts of hemp cloth, commonly used for tents, to reinforce pants (especially after Civil War shortages). The idea of structure and function to not only clothe, but reinforce people trying to get their lives back together after the War, fits Whitman to a T.
Then you think of our generation now. There's a war going on, many of our friends are there fighting. We're in a Recession that has changed how we value the world. I say we need those invigorating moments to reengage our passions. Go Forth!!
04.05.10
This is way late, but thanks for this engaged response Emily.
04.05.10
Thank you for sharing these amazing commercials. They are beautiful.
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