Beyoncé teams up with Levi's for 'reiimagine' campaign following awards snub

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Beyoncé is embracing her cowgirl style in Levi's newly released Reiimagine campaign.

The Grammy award-winning singer, who collaborated with Post Malone on her track Levii’s Jeans last year, takes centre stage in the brand's latest campaign, which “celebrates Levi's legacy while pushing creative boundaries.”

Directed by Melina Matsoukas, the campaign reimagines iconic Levi's looks and ads, starting with a modern twist on the classic 1985 "Launderette" commercial starring Nick Kamen.

In the original ad, a young man stripped off his Levi's at a laundromat, waiting in his underwear while his jeans are washed. In the updated version, Beyoncé confidently takes the lead, bringing a strong female presence to the ad.

Speaking about the campaign, Beyoncé shared: “My song ‘Levii’s Jeans’ celebrates what I believe is the ultimate Americana uniform - something we all wear with pride.

“I am honored to work with Levi’s to create quintessential American iconography. Denim on denim has often been seen through a male lens, so this reimagining campaign, which celebrates the iconic female perspective, is important to me.

“I look forward to exploring innovative ways for our visions to align in empowering women and honoring their strength.”

The 1985 advert featured Kamen stripping to his boxer shorts in an old-fashioned launderette to wash his jeans while a group of female customers looked on as Marvin Gaye’s hit Heard It Through The Grapevine played in the background.

It turned Kamen into a global sex symbol and saw sales of Levi’s rocket by 800 per cent. Kamen became a singer-songwriter and a protégé of Madonna, enjoying chart success with songs including Each Time You Break My Heart. He died in 2021 aged 59 after a long illness.

Kenny Mitchell, global chief marketing officer of Levi’s, said: “The Levi’s brand has and always will be the unofficial uniform for those moving forward in the pursuit of better. We believe a key part of that is continuously breaking and building the codes of culture.

“In collaboration with Beyoncé, we explore the power of reimagination through this campaign, helping us to connect with our fans in new ways and supporting the growth of our women’s business as the definitive denim lifestyle brand.”

The jean brand experienced a 20 per cent increase in their stock price, a 20 per cent rise in customer visits to US stores, and an additional $1.2 million in revenue after the Texan singer mentioned them in her country song, Levii’s Jeans.

The campaign comes after the singer left the People's Choice Country Awards empty-handed this year, despite receiving more nominations than any other female artist.

Beyoncé's string of losses at the ceremony follows her complete snubbing at the CMA Awards, where she received no nominations, leading to allegations of racism online.

Although the People's Choice Country Awards recognised her first country album, Cowboy Carter, with an impressive 17 nominations, she failed to secure any wins last Thursday.

The hitmaker faced disappointment not winning in major categories such as People's Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Female Artist, despite the album’s commercial success.

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