Levi’s India (Red Loop): U in the Loop?

Having talked about Levi’s Europe and Levi’s US, next in the series is my very own country – Levi’s India. A new campaign launched by Levi Strauss & Co. – Red Loop uses some specific tactical measures to attract ‘attention’. What remains to be seen is if this attention can be translated into conversion or not.

Red Loop campaign has been conceptualized by JWT, Bangalore, and has been shot by Colston Julian. The models have been chosen from over the world and (according to the creative on their website) “display an incredibly casual attitude towards their dress, body language and expression, infusing a quality of ‘effortless cool’ through the campaign”
What is unique about this campaign is that though at the look of it, it would be perceived as an International campaign – it isn’t! It is an Indian agency working with International models, to market a product ONLY in India (or possibly in South Asia). For the first time, advertising has been done at the local level for local variants (Earlier, they were created at the divisional level, and then percolated to the sub-divisions).

How is this campaign, or rather, the Advertising in Indian markets, different from that in other regions? If you read the description of the product and the campaign, you would understand the underlying theme, which advertisers use…Emulation.
Though it is a tactical initiative, but majority of the Indian consumers subconsciously emulate their western counterparts. The evolution of the Luxury market and the purchase of upmarket products would substantiate this. Thus, a foreign celebrity endorsing an Indian product does add more “perceived” credence to the offering altogether. This flavor of “emulative” need-state, if I may call it, is not present in the other 2 regions I described earlier.

Another element that is increasingly being used in Indian advertising is Sex. According to an article in Deccan Herald,

Shooting with foreign models and creating foreign imagery have become table stakes in the jeans wear category. The important thing is to create a truly international look and feel that is edgy yet relatable to this top-end consumer who is highly discerning and well connected with real-time fashion. Hence the key message - ‘U in the loop?’

Have a look at some of the ads from the campaign!


These Ads have been displayed at prime locations in malls across the capital. In NOIDA, one of the ads is placed right in front of the entry gate and spans across the entire hall.

One thing I noticed about these ads is that though the underlying theme ensures high attention, and high recall, how much of the product or the brand communication is present in the campaign? With a tagline "U in the Loop?" which is difficult to relate to the campaign, how many customers would buy this idea? Though the concept is excellent and marks a fashion statement, I personally believe there is more communication required in the campaign to translate this into some tangible returns. Or maybe, I am not in the loop!