Summary:
- Levi's debuts "Behind Every Original" campaign during Super Bowl with film directed by Kim Gehrig
- Campaign features celebrities and everyday people filmed from behind, focusing on denim's back view
- Six-day shoot across Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and London includes Doechii, ROSÉ, and Questlove
Levi's released its new global campaign during the Super Bowl. The film, titled "Backstory", takes a different approach to advertising by showing people from behind.
Director Kim Gehrig shot the campaign over six days in three cities. The roster includes musicians Doechii and ROSÉ, basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, drummer Questlove, model Stefanie Giesinger, and Woody from Toy Story. Real cowboys, construction workers, and climbers also appear in the footage. Everyone moves to James Brown's "Get Up Offa That Thing" while the camera stays focused on their backs.
The rear view serves a purpose. The back of jeans shows the arcuate stitching, the silhouette, and the Red Tab. These elements have defined Levi's for over 150 years. The brand wants to highlight what makes their product recognizable from any angle.
Kenny Mitchell leads marketing at Levi Strauss & Co. He notes the campaign connects to multiple cultural spaces: music, sports, fashion. The timing links to the Super Bowl venue itself. Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara hosts the game, creating another layer of brand presence.
The film references specific cultural moments. One scene nods to George Michael's "Faith" era. Another reinterprets Bruce Springsteen's "Born In the U.S.A." album cover. These references span generations and show how denim fits into different periods of music history.
The "Behind Every Original" campaign will run throughout 2026. This first chapter sets the visual language for what comes next. The approach flips traditional storytelling. Instead of faces and frontal shots, the focus stays on movement and silhouette.
The production chose locations with purpose. Los Angeles brings urban culture. Oklahoma City adds American heartland context. London represents international fashion. Each city contributes a different backdrop to the same theme.
The cast mix matters. Celebrities appear alongside people who wear denim for work. This combination suggests the product serves multiple purposes across different lives. A climber needs durable clothing. A musician makes a style statement. The jeans work for both.
The campaign positions Levi's at the center of cultural conversation. The brand has dressed musicians, athletes, and workers for decades. This history gives the company authority to make these cultural claims. The advertising strategy draws on real connections rather than creating new ones.
The soundtrack choice supports the visual approach. James Brown's track from 1976 has energy and rhythm. People know the song across age groups. The music drives the movement on screen and ties the separate shots together into one sequence.
The decision to film people in motion adds another dimension. Walking, dancing, and working all show how denim moves with the body. Static images would show the stitching and the fit. Movement shows how the clothing performs.
Each frame in "Backstory" celebrates the shape denim creates. The camera treats this view with attention usually reserved for faces. This shift in perspective becomes the campaign's main idea. What you wear defines you as much as who you are.
The Super Bowl placement gives the campaign maximum visibility. Millions watch the game and the commercials. Launching during this event puts the message in front of a massive audience at once. The connection to Levi's Stadium adds a meta element to the media buy.