Epic Levi’s® Twists: Super Bowl’s Cheeky Denim Secrets Revealed

The Levi’s® brand storms the cultural spotlight with “Behind Every Original.” It is an audacious global campaign. This campaign debuted during the Super Bowl at Levi’s® Stadium in San Francisco. Acclaimed filmmaker Kim Gehrig directed the anthem film “Backstory.” The film masterfully subverts expectations. It presents a constellation of celebrity icons and authentic everyday pioneers. They are viewed exclusively from behind. Here, the backside becomes sacred ground. The arcuate stitching, sculpted silhouette, and signature Red Tab™ device proclaim unadulterated originality in every stride. They express it in every dance and defiant step.

For over 170 years, Levi’s® jeans have clad the vanguard. These are the cultural alchemists who redefine music’s beat, sport’s edge, fashion’s frontier, and art’s bold strokes. From gold rush miners to Woodstock rebels, punk provocateurs to hip-hop originators, these denims formed the uniform of progress. The campaign resurrects this lineage. It weaves generational threads through denim’s enduring swagger. The electrifying “Get Up Offa That Thing” by James Brown propels it as the pulse for eternal movers and shakers.

“Backstory” assembles a dream team of originals, each captured mid-movement to celebrate Levi’s® as the great equalizer:

• Doechii, Top Dawg Entertainment’s Grammy-winning rapper, unleashes choreography by Robbie Blue. She wears Low Slim Boot Cut jeans. Her explosive hip-hop flow owns every frame.
• ROSÉ, BLACKPINK’s global phenomenon, wears Loose Boot Cut jeans and pairs them with a Relaxed Fit Trucker. Her poised strut channels K-pop’s effortless dominion.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP and champion, glides in 578® Baggy jeans. He wears custom-tailored denim gloves. He embodies court-to-culture crossover cool.
• Questlove, the Grammy-, Academy Award-winning maestro behind The Roots and Summer of Soul, grooves in 505 Regular Fit jeans. He wears a one-off custom denim jacket. This look fuses DJ flair and filmic gravitas.
• Stefanie Giesinger, the German model and sharp cultural commentator, defines poise in Ribcage Slim jeans. She wears a Super Soft Longsleeve Polo. Her silhouette is a study in modern minimalism.
• Woody from Disney-Pixar’s Toy Story franchise pulls up in classic Levi’s®, injecting whimsical nostalgia into the high-fashion fray.

Visual Easter eggs abound. There is a sly homage to George Michael’s trench-coated swagger from “Faith,” reimagined in raw denim. It includes a contemporary riff on Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” album pose, now flipped to backside glory. The production was shot across six intense days in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and London. It insisted on casting genuine cowboys wrangling steers, hard-hat construction crews mid-break, and sheer-cliff climbers. Vibrant youth subcultures were also a focus. This ensured every frame pulses with unscripted authenticity.

Kenny Mitchell, global chief marketing officer of Levi Strauss & Co., champions the campaign’s singular narrative. “This threads a story only Levi’s® can tell,” he asserts. “We’re woven into music, sports, fashion—at the heart of fans’ closets across generations. Launching during Super Bowl at our stadium? That’s sport’s unifying alchemy at work.”

Beyond the 30-second Super Bowl blitz, “Behind Every Original” enters quick-hit territory. Punchy six-second reveal films drop post-game. They zero in on each icon’s kinetic self-expression—movement over mere celebrity. Raw photography vignettes capture the ritual of slipping into Levi’s®—button, fly, stride. They echo personal origin tales across social feeds, digital banners, out-of-home billboards, and in-store activations.

TBWA\Chiat\Day LA birthed the concept, styling a denim timeline from vintage 501® originals to cutting-edge 578® silhouettes. Custom creations—like Questlove’s patched leather-trim jacket and Shai’s ergonomic gloves—tailor heritage to individual swagger. They remind us Levi’s® outfits both history’s giants and tomorrow’s disruptors.

“Behind Every Original” transcends advertising. It’s a manifesto on authenticity in an filtered age. Levi’s® doesn’t chase trends; it authors them, from Levi’s® Stadium’s gridiron glory to the jeans hugging the world’s change agents. This February, slip into your pair and step backward into progress: the backside view reveals who truly leads. Explore the full campaign, styles, and cast stories at Levi’s® now—your original awaits.