LS&Co. Unzipped

Welcome to our blog. Here’s where you’ll find a “behind-the-seams” look at what’s going on with Levi Strauss & Co. You’ll hear from a variety of voices, from both inside and outside the company. And you have the chance to share your thoughts. So read on — and weigh in!

Sep 14 2012

From Art Nouveau to Pop Day-Glo

You may not have ever thought about it this way, but in addition to being known for its great product, the Levi’s® brand has long been known for its art – otherwise known as its advertising.

Within a decade of creating the first blue jeans, in 1873, the company put into the hands of its salesmen colorful flyers with eye-catching graphics. Those flyers were given to the owners of small general stores all over the American West. And Art Nouveau influences can be seen in the covers of the company’s catalogs, first printed in 1900.

As the brand became more associated with the romance of the cowboy and the West, illustrations inspired by Western artists, such as Maynard Dixon, Frederic Remington, and others appeared in magazines, newspapers and in the stores themselves.

Always aware of the changes in culture, Levi Strauss & Co. advertising also began to feature the post-war nuclear family in the years following the end of World War II. The teenager took over the world in the 1960s and 1970s, and there were also nods to the hippie and disco era, particularly in posters.

Today, artists such as Stefan Sagmeister and Shepard Fairey have put their imprint on our advertising.

If you’re flying through San Francisco International Airport in the near future, check out the examples of our artwork, currently on exhibit in Terminal 3, Gate 76. It's part of SFO Museum, the first cultural institution of its kind located inside an international airport. The exhibit is beyond the security checkpoint, so only ticketed passengers are allowed. But here’s a glimpse of what those fortunate travelers see.

Overalls Spring Bottom Pants, c. 1899

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overalls Spring Bottom Pants
c. 1899
Artist unknown
Printed salesman's flyer

 

 

 

Los Pantalones Overalls
con Remaches de Cobre
1926
Artist unknown
Printed salesman's flyer
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Western Wear
1941
Artist unknown
Printed catalogue cover
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casuals
1955
Artist unknown
Printed catalogue cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighter Blues
1953
Artist unknown
Printed in-store advertisement
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Latest Greatest Bestseller of All
1961
Artist unknown
Printed catalogue cover
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring '70
1970
Artist unknown
Printed catalogue cover
 

Posted By: Lynn Downey, Historian, Levi Strauss & Co.

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