Firefox compatible

Client: Levi Strauss
Creative Agency: Cutwater

Viral videos are never a sure thing. And when they're backed by a big brand rather than developed organically as user-generated content, the chances of them spreading like wildfire seems to diminish -- similar to when Mom and Dad try to embrace the "hip, new lingo that all the kids are using these days."

Levi's, however, seems to have overcome the big brand hurdle and has hit the viral video jackpot with its recent "Jeans Jump" piece. The short film features four guys finding unique ways to get into their Original 501 Button-Fly jeans. Who knew that pogo sticks, swings and roofs were useful for getting dressed?

The video was filmed in Venice Beach, California, after writer/director Benzo Theodore envisioned the short film. Theodore was a videographer on the "Jackass" television show for all three seasons, so you can imagine that he's used to filming out-there stunts. 

Levi's says that "Jeans Jump" is all about showcasing the originality and versatility of the iconic Original 501 Button-Fly jeans in a creative and fun way. And the web seems to love it -- in the two weeks that "Jeans Jump" has been online, it's been viewed nearly 3.5 million times.

The campaign raised a red flag, though, when some critics pointed out the similarities to a 2007 viral video from Ray-Bans, coincidentally created by the same agency. In addition, when the video was first released, it wasn't evident that the viral video was courtesy of Levi's. After a short, quiet period, Levi's laid claim to the video, noting that it was part of a small internet seeding project that has garnered more attention than the clothing company had originally expected.  
-- Nanette Marcus, cover stories editor, iMedia Connection

The Levi's viral video was a fun foray into viral media. I liked watching guys hop into their pants in new, inventive ways. The video also had more than 3 million views by the time I watched it, so clearly someone is passing it on. I also enjoyed the music. If I were hopping into my pants, that's the theme music I'd play as well. Overall, it's fun, light-hearted and personable. That said, I would have preferred the video to be more transparent. I don't think it's necessary or convincing to present the video as if a bunch of guys spontaneously got together to jump into their pants. But I'm not a guy. Maybe it IS spontaneous and that's just what you guys do. (Like how you all have to go to the restroom in groups.)

The only other suggestion I have is to not oversell or inflate the description and tags. I might have passed this video on to friends if it had simply been presented as good-looking guys acting silly and hopping into pants. But the description says they're crazy and one of the tags is "extreme." Jackass stunts are crazy and extreme. This is not. These guys are cute and silly and you just want to tussle their hair and get brunch in SoHo with them.
-- Tiffany Young, Executive Creative Director of Smashing Ideas Inc.

For years I labored under the delusion that we all put our pants on one leg at a time.

I stand corrected.

This video is kind of like watching "Jackass" without the gory injuries and focus on public humiliation, which means it's largely about stunts that make you smile and look for more.

That's both good and bad news.

The stunts are the good part, and I must admit that I had a visceral reaction to watching a guy literally jump into his jeans from a second story window. Honestly, the attempt alone probably makes the video worth sharing, but the fact that he sticks the landing like Nadia Comaneci makes the campaign truly viral.

But that's also where the video runs into trouble.

I don't know what brand of jeans they're advertising. And to be frank, I probably wouldn't have known that it was even about the jeans if I hadn't been told. It's one thing to have a subtle ad, but it's something else to miss the brand entirely. Didn't somebody at Levi's say, "Hey, funny video, guys. But where do we fit in?"

Maybe the answer to that question is in the comments. The video, which has about 3 million views and counting, has a little more than 14,000 comments on YouTube. I did a quick search for the term "Levi's" and couldn't find a user who identified this as an ad for the jeans. In fact, most users didn't see the video as an ad at all. And those that did use the word "Levi's" in their comments actually thought the video would make a good Levi's ad.

So either the Levi's people are seeding the YouTube comment page (unlikely, if you consider the fact that many posters misspelled the brand name), or users already see Levi's as synonymous with jeans.

If the latter is the case, Levi's could see a spike in sales. But my guess is that we'll see a rise in emergency room visits with a single word listed under cause of injury -- jeans.
-- Michael Estrin, Associate Editor, iMedia Connection