Levi’s ‘From the Archives’ Series

Challenge: As a company that was founded more than 150 years ago, Levi’s has a rich and storied history, not to mention a physical archive filled with hundreds of thousands of garments, catalogs, advertisements, artifacts and ephemera from all over the world. But what good are artifacts if they’re never seen? We had to create an innovative way to showcase not only the artifacts themselves, but also tell authentic stories of real people and how they lived in Levi’s.

Insight and Idea: Any time Levi’s was featured in pop culture, in the press, even in Hollywood period films, there was a lot of excitement and engagement from the public. Additionally, Tracey Panek, Levi’s Director of the Archives, had a wealth of knowledge and insights for the archives and the stories they held. What better way to showcase these stories and the artifacts in the archives than putting her front and center? We created “From the Archives,” a series of short and mid-form video content that lived on YouTube and social channels.

Results: Started during the pandemic, we made more than 24 videos over two and a half years, garnering hundreds of thousands of video views and social interactions. With some of the films as long as 5:00, the view through rates were incredibly high. Most importantly, we were able to showcase the Live in Levi’s brand platform in a way that felt authentic.