Levi's Viral Campaign Banned by YouTube

The Story:

Levi’s recently attempted a viral campaign to increase awareness of it new line of jeans called that targeted curvy women. They essentially used a hidden camera to show how many people looked at the ‘rear view’ of girls as they walked down busy streets. This was an attempt to show how their new line of “curve ID” jeans would perhaps fit better for these body types. The video was actually banned from you tube because of its failure to gain consent from various individuals captured on the film.

Reflection and Analysis:

This is an interesting story, not only for Levi’s, but also for the YouTube brand. YouTube took a strong stance in this case in order to not have its name associated with a campaign by Levi’s that could be considered distasteful and as a result is only adding to its brand equity.

The implications for Levi’s is however potentially much more negative. The bad press surrounding this video is unfortunate because the viral campaign was the most successful campaign Levi’s had run in years, with over 7 millions views in the first few days, yet it was quickly tarnished when it became clear that the YouTube terms of use were being violated. The videos were removed which has made people take notice,  and as such, this could become a great opportunity for Levi’s if handled in the right way. In the immediate term, people are likely only seeing the move as a violation of privacy and producing video for marketing purposes without having consent or permission from those involved. I think that in order to deal with this type of ‘bad press’ effectively, Levi’s should take a period of time as a ‘cooling-off’ period, and then address the issue directly by admitting their lack of concern and disclosure. Going forward, they could effectively play off this misstep by releasing new videos where the individuals caught ‘gawking’ could potentially be interviewed after for further feedback (and giving their consent for use of course).  

The McWedding in Korea

The Story:

Perhaps it was only a matter of time, but McDonald’s has now officially entered the wedding business. While, currently only adopted in the Korean market thus far, couples can opt to host their wedding at a McDonald’s for a minimal fee. According to this article, McDonald’s s in Korea receive on average, over ten phone call enquiries per week regarding wedding packages

Reflection and Analysis:

While this may be seen as a strange brand extension for McDonald’s in North America, I think this could be a very good move for them in the Korean market. There is a substantial amount of demand in the Korean market to justify this service offering, and in conjunction with the fact that McDonald’s in Korea is not perceived as a ‘low-end, cheap’ fast food provider as it is in North America, this move makes sense. While North Americans may find this brand extension comical, I think it is a true testament to McDonald’s brand power in Korea given that numerous individuals find themselves so aligned with the brand values that they would consider hosting their wedding there.

Airwalk Jim Shoe: Invisible Re-Launch

The Story:

This campaign, recently launched by the ‘Airwalk’ shoe brand urged its loyal customers to get involved via a cool augmented reality app for smart-phones. Customers had to go to specific locations in either LA or New York, and find the Airwalk ‘Jim Shoe’ in what they called an invisible pop-up store (only visible through the A.R. App). Once they found the shoe, they were re-directed to Airwalk’s e-commerce site to finalize their purchase. 

Reflection and Analysis:

This is a truly unique and interesting way for this brand to engage its customers and gain their involvement and because it is also using such new technology, it is stimulating a lot of discussion and awareness. The decision to use a smart-phone app works great with the Airwalk brand because it aligns nicely with the brand values of being young and fun. The Jim Shoe itself is evoking a certain nostalgic appeal since it has a retro look that is meant as an “ode to the most loved/hated school activities of all time, gym class”. This new shoe is targeting not only the teenage/young adult age group, but also those in their 30’s who remember the brand from years ago.  I think that Airwalk is doing a great job of combining nostalgic appeal with modern technology to keep their consumer base interested and engaged.

I think that this campaign is great in that it will help develop a brand community around the Airwalk brand, and those consumers who did participate in the campaign will likely become evangelists for the brand since it seemed like such a unique and fun experience.