When Beyoncé dropped her hit Cowboy Carter album in March, no one could’ve been happier than the folks at Levi’s. Having the 17th track, “Levii’s Jeans,” one extra vowel away from its signature product would be any marketer’s dream. Now the brand has dropped the first installment of an official collab campaign, with Beyoncé starring in a remake of its classic 1985 “Launderette” commercial.
In what Levi’s calls “a series of chapters,” the new campaign created with agency TBWA/Chiat/DAY LA puts a modern spin on the most iconic ads for Levi’s. In a statement, Beyoncé said that so much of denim iconography has historically 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.”
Throughout the ’80s, Levi’s ads were often the perfect mix of sexy, fun, and stylish, with a clear sense of humor. From “Launderette” up to the end of that decade, the spots all played off of similar elements. There’s the desert locales providing a hot, sweaty backdrop to some hunky dude who stares into the eyes of a lucky lady. Stylish? Yes. But cliché? Totally.
Seeing how Beyoncé takes on the male role in “Launderette,” there are a few specific spots that would be compelling to see her reimagine.
For Levi’s, this is also a dream scenario. One of the planet’s biggest stars is not only starring in a campaign, but reimagining old work in a way that confirms its pop cultural legacy while continuing to build on it.
“Parting” (1987)
A young man is going off to war. Or at least leaving his girl at home. As he’s jumping on the bus (to the tune of Percy Sledge’s classic “When A Man Loves A Woman”), he hands her a package. It’s, uh, his used pair of jeans. But! There’s a letter in the back pocket, and I’m pretty sure it’s not the laundry instructions.
It’s a stereotypical setup, but has enough intrigue built into it (what’s in the package?), that a remake could certainly tap into.
“Refrigerator” (1988)
Once again, it’s a hot, sweaty day, and an old man wanders into a gas station diner. He settles at the counter, just as a young man comes down the stairs with no pants on. Dude tosses his boots on the counter, then moves to the fridge.
The tone, pace, and emphasis on the white brief are so similar to “Launderette” that Beyoncé could definitely jump in here for a cool pair of her own.
“Pick-Up” (1989)
We’re in the desert, surprise, surprise. A young couple’s car breaks down and they’re stranded until a young denim-clad man pulls over in his truck. As The Ronettes’s 1963 hit “Be May Baby” plays, dude MacGyver’s a tow chain out of his 501s and invites the lady to sit up in the cab with him. As they’re riding up the hill, the truck’s bumper gives out before the jeans do, but no one seems to mind except the suit hurdling backwards downhill away from his girlfriend.
Again we have a perfect situation for Beyoncé to remix as the hero character. What kind of truck would she drive? And who would she save? Exactly.
Bonus: “Tainted Love” (1996)
This is obviously the longest shot out of any, but I’d be negligent not to mention it as a classic Levi’s spot that deserves a mention. Directed by Spike Jonze, the ad was controversial at the time for making light of an incredibly serious situation. Still, can’t help but smile at the heart rate monitor providing the beat to Soft Cell’s 1981 hit.