How niche fandoms power Levi’s most successful collabs

The inventor of the blue jeans, Levi Strauss & Co, is leaning into collaboration to drip brand heat throughout the year. 

“Which brand can say that they’re the inventor of the blue jean,” Nuholt Huisamen, managing director of Levi Strauss & Co for East Asia Pacific, told Inside Retail.

“Each time I say that I get goosebumps, the blue jean is arguably the most impactful apparel item on the planet,” he stated.

But a lot has changed since the brand’s founding in 1853 in San Francisco by Levi Strauss.

Today, Levi’s channels a lot of resources into differentiating its core product offering to show up in new and exciting ways for its loyal consumers. 

Honouring loyal fans

Levi’s doesn’t just have consumers, it has fans according to Huisamen. “This word ‘fan’ is something that really works well with something that is so personal.”

The reason jeans are so personal to consumers is two-fold: the desired fit varies from one individual to the next, and the way denim naturally wears over time creates a unique look.

“One of our heritage claims ‘is quality that stands the test of time,’ so a particular bottom you could literally wear for a lifetime…it naturally stays with you,” explained Huisamen.

“It’s something that’s difficult to put your finger on but we’ve heard from many consumers [sharing] their story around Levi’s. Everybody has a story around their first Levi’s jeans,” he added.

Levi’s understands that denim is an emotional purchase because it’s a garment that consumers will likely live in for a long time.

But instead of relying solely on its rich brand heritage to forge a bond with its fans, Levi’s is focused on forging new emotional connections by tapping into niche fandoms through collaboration. 

Tapping niche fandoms 

While Levi’s blue jeans are for everyone and a universally loved wardrobe staple, the brand has found a lot of success by unleashing the power of fandoms with its limited-edition collaborative collections. 

“When we think about our campaigns, we normally have big global campaigns that are more volume-driving, commercial business-driving initiatives,” stated Huisamen.

“Whereas collaborations play the role of driving equity and consumer connection and relevance and [placing Levi’s at the] centre of culture, depending on what it is at that moment in time.”

According to Huisamen, collaboration gives Levi’s the ability to drip brand heat throughout the year and drive interest with the right consumer groups.

“One of the [collaborations] that sold out exceptionally fast was Princess Mononoke. It was literally minutes,” shared Huisamen.

Levi’s collaboration with Studio Ghibli’s animated classic Princess Mononoke tapped into a super-fandom and offered them wearable nostalgia.

“The other one that we’ve done a few collabs with is New Balance. New Balance from a sneaker perspective is quite hot at the moment. That seems to go quite fast as well,” added Huisamen. 

Levi’s collaboration with the sneaker brand resulted in the New Balance MT580 shoe, which featured Levi’s ‘shrink-to-fit’ denim fabric for the 150-year celebration year of the American denim brand.

The collaboration played right into the ‘normcore’ aesthetic that promotes real clothes.

Levi’s continues to tap into sub-culture and niche fandoms with collaborations with Gen Z YouTuber Emma Chamberlain, K-pop girl group NewJeans, Californian brand Stussy, fictional cartoon Hello Kitty, actress Barbie Ferreira and Japanese brand Beams.

Collaborations are a testament to the breadth of Levi’s brand appeal as well as the product’s longevity in the fashion industry.

“I think you just need to find those things that are hot at that moment and create that desirability,” concluded Huisamen.

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