discontinuity...

today i read an interesting article about the new ad campaign by Wieden+Kennedy that is supposed to help re-brand the dying Levi’s.

here is a tidbit:

"...was supposed to target Generation O seems to have ignored all the participation and multi-culturalism that this Obama-era is supposed to represent. Instead, we find lone white young men and women running through the hills and towards waves reflecting a misplaced interpretation of freedom..."

Levi’s and its campaign don’t connect with the great things that are happening in this country, the radiant mix of cultures evolving within it nor the reality of its past."

"Probably the most appalling ad in the campaign is the one where a young girl runs through a meadow by the words “This Country Was Not Built By Men In Suits”. Now, some of us here (me) didn’t spend a lot of time studying US history but I know that the people who built this country couldn’t even run freely in the fields. Agency Spy spotted graffiti daubed on the ad in New York’s subway which spells out who a little more clearly: “By Slaves”."


read the entire thing HERE...

what frustrates me most as a graphic designer is the discontinuity of the images and overall message in the video advertisement compared to the print campaign. does THIS commercial look reflective of the above statements and posters?

i don't think so.

consistency and accuracy are key in branding. how could an advertising agency not see this? (especially W+K...)