Levi's faces boycott over decision to grow its gender neutral line - as 2019 ad resurfaces
The popular American clothing brand, Levi Strauss & Co. fashion brand, is the latest company to face a boycott by conservative consumers concerned by woke messaging.
Levi Strauss, the nation's oldest jean company, has come under fire with calls to avoid the brand amid fury over a resurfaced campaign ad showcasing its gender neutral clothing line.
The CEO of Levi Strauss & Co said earlier this month there is 'definitely consumer appetite' for a gender neutral clothing line - which the company is currently trying to build out.
It follows in the wake of widespread outrage over Bud Light's disastrous marketing campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney and a major backlash against Target's new Pride line of clothing that includes 'tuck-friendly' women's swimwear.
Levi's 2019 campaign ad features a model called Jesus, sporting long hair and a beard, and another called Matia, who has a mullet hairstyle
The minute-long video, originally shared on YouTube has resurfaced and is going viral this week
CEO Chip Bergh, 65, spoke about earlier this month about how 170-year-old San Francisco-based Levi's had been developing gender fluid garments under his leadership.
Speaking in the context of Bud Light's disastrous marketing campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bergh said that there is an assured appetite for gender neutral clothing - based on data collected from the iconic denim company.
His remarks saw an ad from 2019 resurface on social media, with many users criticizing the brand for focusing too heavily on the LGBTQ community.
The minute-long video, originally shared on YouTube in September 2019, features a model called Jesus, sporting long hair and a beard, and another called Matia, who has a mullet hairstyle.
The two pose together and discuss the 'freedom' they feel with their fashion choices while clasping onto each other.
In the ad, Jesus, who is described as a designer and vintage curator, is wearing a denim dress and turtleneck sweater with a button down shirt on top.
'I was always obsessed with the women in my life. The way that what they did was for themselves,' they said.
Matia, labeled 'fashion lover' in the ad, responds: 'I feel a lot more freedom when I include more masculine elements into my style.'
'Whatever feels the most natural is what anyone should be doing,' Jesus responded. 'It's an amazing time to be able to express yourself in a very personal style. It's a time where we're all really free to express ourselves how we want to.'
The CEO of Levi Strauss & Co has said there is 'definitely consumer appetite' for a gender neutral clothing line
CEO Chip Bergh said Levi's has been developing gender fluid garments under his leadership
But many social media users reposting the ad this week called for a boycott.
One user said: 'Levi's Follows BudLight And Adidas In Woke Propaganda Campaigns. BOYCOTT'
Another wrote: 'Levi's Go woke, go broke.'
One shared the clip and wrote: 'Levi's Follows Bud Light And Adidas In Woke Propaganda Campaigns. 'Make jeans—ignore genes.'
This is not the first time the brand has faced a backlash and calls for a boycott.
In 2021 it emerged Levi Strauss was offering employees counselling with a 'racial trauma specialist' after Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty.
Rittenhouse, 18, was cleared of all charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, on November 19 after he shot dead two white men and wounded a third during Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020.
After the ruling, Levi's chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Elizabeth Morrison, sent a letter to staff offering 24-hour mental health care for those suffering the 'pain and trauma of race, identity and belief-based tragedies.'
However, people took social media to threaten to boycott their stores over it's 'woke' response and cancel orders.
CEO Chip Bergh and his wife Juliet
Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh poses for photos outside the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, March 21
Many people have already vowed to step away from a range of brands including Bud Light, Starbucks, Target, Nike and Adidas for campaigns and collaborations focusing on LGBTQ people.
Anheuser-Busch has lost a massive $15.7Billion in value since Bud Light teamed up with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
And Calvin Klein had a 'Bud light moment' recently with an ad featuring trans man who's not had top surgery modelling a bra which sparked backlash.
Target also faced widespread backlash after introducing 'tuck friendly' swimwear this week.
But after the Bud Light fiasco, the company took 'emergency' action to avoid a similar situation and pulled many of the products from display in Southern stores on Wednesday.
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