Few brands have become as synonymous with denim as Levi’s. Having already cemented its name in the business, the new push for the company is to position itself as a brand that connects the energy of the young with what it refers to as its ‘pioneering spirit’.

This is what forms the crux of Levi’s ‘Go Forth’ campaign. First introduced in America in 2011, spurred by rising sentiment among the country’s young to ‘do something’ (think Barack Obama’s campaign slogan ‘Yes We Can’) the campaign went global; it was translated into 17 different languages and came to Pakistan in March this year.

According to Adnan Malik, Director, Adnan Malik Productions (AMP) who worked with Levi’s on the campaign, the seed for the idea came from AMPs production of Levi’s ads last year featuring Bilal Khan, Zoe Viccaji and the band Strings.

“We paired these two up and coming musicians with Strings because we wanted to associate them with an act that could be considered a pioneer in the music industry.”

In December 2011, Levi’s decided to continue with the theme in its Go Forth campaign. A total of seven young people, who were gaining a reputation for their creativity, were selected to be part of the campaign. They included Adnan Malik himself, along with filmmaker Aisha Linnea Akhtar, stylist Asmaa Mumtaz, musician Bilal Khan, radio jockey Khalid Malik and musicians Usman Riaz and Zoe Viccaji in individual ads as well as one collective ad.

According to Imran Butt, Country Manager, Levi’s, “These individuals haven’t exactly arrived yet, but they are climbing the ladder and making a name for themselves. They are the new pioneers.”

Talking about the art direction, Malik says, “We wanted the advertisements to be unique and creative, to look as if they were shot in Barcelona, London or Säo Paulo, which is why we worked with Tapu Javeri, because he captures personalities really well.”

Each of the ads shows the individuals in diverse settings ranging from rooftops to concert stages, in scenes that are meant to echo their personalities, with their creed scrawled out in chalk, while they wear their favourite Levi’s fit.

The intent behind the campaign was two-fold, to inspire the young in Pakistan by highlighting some of its most promising young achievers and position Levi’s as the uniform for those who want to be bold and express themselves.

The campaign was initially conceived for digital media only, because information gathered via in-store surveys showed that “social media is the best way to interact with an audience for a brand such as ours,” says Butt. However, the brand decided to use the leftover marketing spend for in-store activations, banners in malls and a few print ads in Sunday magazines.

As Levi’s doesn’t do a great deal of advertising in Pakistan, it is well worth considering whether the current campaign is the result of increased competition with brands such as CrossRoads and Stoneage making waves in the market.

Butt, however says, that is not the case because Levi’s operates in a totally different space.

“Levi’s (including Dockers) operates mostly in the premium to super premium price range and so Shalimar Centre on Tariq Road is a bigger competitor for us because they sell good quality, imported jeans. It would be unfair to treat upcoming brands as competitors because their clothes are priced under Rs 3,000. Everything under our label ranges from Rs 3,000-10,000.”

Measuring results for its success isn’t as easy as calculating sales since the campaign is not really meant to boost sales. However, according to Butt, the campaign has led many people to comment that Levi’s is “the sexiest name in jeans in Pakistan.” Butt is quite happy with the comment; it’s the kind of image he wants to consistently propagate for Levi’s in Pakistan.