2021 Winner
BronzeBest in Augmented/Virtual Reality
Levi's
"Levi's Double Portal: Cure For Joyless Shopping"
UM
"Levi's Double Portal: Cure For Joyless Shopping"
UM
The pandemic forced most ‘non-essential’ brick and mortar businesses to close. Without warning, retailers were forced to pivot and consumers were forced online. As online shopping exploded, consumers discovered a different kind of convenience: they could buy staples, splurge on clothing, and impulse-shop all in one single order.
Ironically, despite the surge in online ordering, for many consumers it also became harder to “shop well.” Missing from this new world of online convenience, were rich, meaningful shopping experiences. The world of fashion, in particular, was at risk of being overtaken by function: cold-hearted efficiency and uniformity. As a result, the apparel category was forced to watch as more and more consumers fell into the trap of ordering clothes online like paper towels: Buy. Use. Dispose.
Joyless shopping was becoming an increasingly common behaviour that undermined the consumer shopping experience. And alarmingly for Levi’s, this trend also meant a further erosion of their retail business and weakening brand engagement, due to a diluted online experience. The agency set out to find a fresh solution to help Levi’s navigate this new retail reality and drive brand engagement among Canadian Gen Z shoppers, the brand’s all-important target audience.
For generations, cultural icon and fashion leader Levi’s has always sought ways to connect with the values and needs of their young-minded audiences. They also knew that fashion is not meant to be a function. Fashion is an experience. Inspired by this thought, their campaign tapped the insight that Gen Z shoppers in particular seek emotionally-fueled interactive brand experiences and share a passionate belief in sustainability. Leveraging these insights, their strategy was to uniquely connect with Gen Z by bringing the delight of real-life shopping to their virtual world at home, while helping them make purchase decisions that positively impact the environment.
Their campaign would deliver a virtual shopping experience unlike any other, demonstrate sustainability through a digital-led approach and drive engagement by leveraging the Levi’s
“Buy Better Wear Longer” rallying cry.
To provide the proper stage for their important message, telling Gen Zers was not enough. They created a world-first, immersive AR experience that went far beyond what sterile, functional online shopping could ever offer. And brought the joy back to shopping.
To bring this vision to life, they partnered with Gen Z favourite and augmented reality leader, Snapchat. The right social platform and the right audience base, whose users were more likely to prioritize eco-friendly businesses, engage with and share AR experiences, and use social as their preferred ecommerce channel. They used media to create the engaging and immersive experience that Levi’s conscientious Gen Z consumers craved. An AR experience that would transport them into a curated fashion world designed to inspire, while also helping them to make better, more
sustainable purchasing decisions.
They partnered with Snapchat to create a global first innovation: a double portal AR Lens! The double lens allowed Gen Z to explore, try on and purchase Levi’s clothing in a visually rich, seamless, premium branded environment. It also uniquely showcased how Levi’s was integrating sustainability into their products and brand values. Using the rear camera, the first portal transported consumers onto a virtual boardwalk on a majestic, Canadian mountain lake where they were exposed to messaging celebrating Levi’s commitment to sustainable fashion. They could also tap wooden signs to learn more about three of Levi’s sustainability initiatives: Cottonized Hemp, WaterLess, and Organic Cotton.
Next, at the end of the boardwalk, Gen Z were directed to a second portal which transported them into a 360° virtual Levi’s showroom, where they could participate in a personalized, immersive retail shopping experience from the comfort of their homes.
The AR lens allowed them to browse sustainably-made Levi’s products, while encouraging shares and swipe ups to purchase the products they learned about within the portal. The agency also designed the experience so they could make purchases directly within the Snapchat app using the SHOP NOW button to buy on Levi.com. This world-first, innovative AR approach delivered a unique, full-funnel experience, while showcasing Levi’s deep commitment to sustainable fashion. A “double” win. The Levi’s global first double-portal AR lens campaign proudly delivered on the
“Buy Better Wear Longer” Levis promise.
Ultimately, the campaign drove engagement and re-introduced the much-needed passion and excitement missing from the online retail experience and brought the joy back to shopping for Canadian Gen Z. They immersed audiences in Levi’s sustainability story while bringing Gen Z out of lockdown and into a world-leading shopping experience that sparked their senses and strengthened engagement with the Levi’s brand.
The campaign generated outstanding results. It drove massive engagement (averaging 19.5 seconds in playtime with the double-portal lens, which was 2x the benchmark) and delivered huge ROI, reaching 2.8M unique Snapchat users in 1st month, exceeding benchmarks. The lens sparked conversation, generating more than 1MM earned impressions in its first month via user-shared
content, surpassing goals.
Through the AR double portal lens, not only were Gen Z able to experience the Levi’s brand and purchase products in a highly creative way, but they gave Gen Z a compelling alternative to the ‘passionless scrolling’ of their usual online shopping routine. A fresh, engaging shopping experience they wouldn’t soon forget! The campaign was a success on many levels: setting a new standard in online shopping that, in some ways, offered richer experiences than could be had in a
real life retail environment.
Ironically, despite the surge in online ordering, for many consumers it also became harder to “shop well.” Missing from this new world of online convenience, were rich, meaningful shopping experiences. The world of fashion, in particular, was at risk of being overtaken by function: cold-hearted efficiency and uniformity. As a result, the apparel category was forced to watch as more and more consumers fell into the trap of ordering clothes online like paper towels: Buy. Use. Dispose.
Joyless shopping was becoming an increasingly common behaviour that undermined the consumer shopping experience. And alarmingly for Levi’s, this trend also meant a further erosion of their retail business and weakening brand engagement, due to a diluted online experience. The agency set out to find a fresh solution to help Levi’s navigate this new retail reality and drive brand engagement among Canadian Gen Z shoppers, the brand’s all-important target audience.
For generations, cultural icon and fashion leader Levi’s has always sought ways to connect with the values and needs of their young-minded audiences. They also knew that fashion is not meant to be a function. Fashion is an experience. Inspired by this thought, their campaign tapped the insight that Gen Z shoppers in particular seek emotionally-fueled interactive brand experiences and share a passionate belief in sustainability. Leveraging these insights, their strategy was to uniquely connect with Gen Z by bringing the delight of real-life shopping to their virtual world at home, while helping them make purchase decisions that positively impact the environment.
Their campaign would deliver a virtual shopping experience unlike any other, demonstrate sustainability through a digital-led approach and drive engagement by leveraging the Levi’s
“Buy Better Wear Longer” rallying cry.
To provide the proper stage for their important message, telling Gen Zers was not enough. They created a world-first, immersive AR experience that went far beyond what sterile, functional online shopping could ever offer. And brought the joy back to shopping.
To bring this vision to life, they partnered with Gen Z favourite and augmented reality leader, Snapchat. The right social platform and the right audience base, whose users were more likely to prioritize eco-friendly businesses, engage with and share AR experiences, and use social as their preferred ecommerce channel. They used media to create the engaging and immersive experience that Levi’s conscientious Gen Z consumers craved. An AR experience that would transport them into a curated fashion world designed to inspire, while also helping them to make better, more
sustainable purchasing decisions.
They partnered with Snapchat to create a global first innovation: a double portal AR Lens! The double lens allowed Gen Z to explore, try on and purchase Levi’s clothing in a visually rich, seamless, premium branded environment. It also uniquely showcased how Levi’s was integrating sustainability into their products and brand values. Using the rear camera, the first portal transported consumers onto a virtual boardwalk on a majestic, Canadian mountain lake where they were exposed to messaging celebrating Levi’s commitment to sustainable fashion. They could also tap wooden signs to learn more about three of Levi’s sustainability initiatives: Cottonized Hemp, WaterLess, and Organic Cotton.
Next, at the end of the boardwalk, Gen Z were directed to a second portal which transported them into a 360° virtual Levi’s showroom, where they could participate in a personalized, immersive retail shopping experience from the comfort of their homes.
The AR lens allowed them to browse sustainably-made Levi’s products, while encouraging shares and swipe ups to purchase the products they learned about within the portal. The agency also designed the experience so they could make purchases directly within the Snapchat app using the SHOP NOW button to buy on Levi.com. This world-first, innovative AR approach delivered a unique, full-funnel experience, while showcasing Levi’s deep commitment to sustainable fashion. A “double” win. The Levi’s global first double-portal AR lens campaign proudly delivered on the
“Buy Better Wear Longer” Levis promise.
Ultimately, the campaign drove engagement and re-introduced the much-needed passion and excitement missing from the online retail experience and brought the joy back to shopping for Canadian Gen Z. They immersed audiences in Levi’s sustainability story while bringing Gen Z out of lockdown and into a world-leading shopping experience that sparked their senses and strengthened engagement with the Levi’s brand.
The campaign generated outstanding results. It drove massive engagement (averaging 19.5 seconds in playtime with the double-portal lens, which was 2x the benchmark) and delivered huge ROI, reaching 2.8M unique Snapchat users in 1st month, exceeding benchmarks. The lens sparked conversation, generating more than 1MM earned impressions in its first month via user-shared
content, surpassing goals.
Through the AR double portal lens, not only were Gen Z able to experience the Levi’s brand and purchase products in a highly creative way, but they gave Gen Z a compelling alternative to the ‘passionless scrolling’ of their usual online shopping routine. A fresh, engaging shopping experience they wouldn’t soon forget! The campaign was a success on many levels: setting a new standard in online shopping that, in some ways, offered richer experiences than could be had in a
real life retail environment.
Credits
LEVI’S CREDITS:Fanny Grenier – Marketing Specialist – Wholesale & Activations
Jaye Campbell – Head of Marketing
UM CREDITS
Michelle Arksey, Director Connections Planning, UM
Stefano Norcia, Director Connections Planning, UM
Madeline McDougall, Senior Connection Planner, UM
SNAPCHAT CREDITS:
Matt Bolivar - Retail Vertical Lead - Snapchat
Pete Wilson - Account Management Lead - Snapchat
Matt Shore - Senior Creative Strategist, Canada - Snapchat
Clay Taylor - Creative Producer, Canada - Snapchat
Antoine Vu - Co-Founder & CEO - Atomic Digital Design