This commercial takes place in the town of Braddock, PA (a suburb of Pittsburgh).  The town, which grew in the mid-20th century around the steel industry, faced tremendous economic hardship after the 2008 US financial collapse.  Braddock received media attention in 2009 when the town’s mayor went on the Colbert Report and questioned the impact of the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on towns like Braddock.  Levi Strauss & Company, the jeans manufacturer, donated more than $1 million to Braddock, and cast residents in commercials for Levi’s.  Print ads and billboards accompanied the TV ad, using phrases such as “We are all workers” and “Ready to work.”

discussion

Who do you think this ad campaign ultimately benefits more – the town of Braddock or Levi’s?  Why?

Levi’s overall branding is focused on consumers who are their “authentic self” when they wear Levi’s.  What about this ad is authentic?  What about this ad is inauthentic?