Establishing the brand.
Levi Strauss, the founder of this iconic brand, came to San Francisco in 1853 to make a fortune from the gold rush. However, the profit he found beyond the Golden Gate was not in the form of gold. Initially, he started a wholesale dry goods business under his name, but as an extension of his family's business in New York. Later renaming the company "Levi Strauss & Co.," he continued on with his small business.
In 1872, Strauss received a letter from a man named Jacob Davis, who was a customer of Strauss' company. This letter would change both of their lives, for he had a brilliant technique he wanted to share with Strauss. He said that he makes rivets in the pants he makes to make them more durable, make them last longer. You see, they both had something the other needed; Davis may have had the idea, but he needed a business partner with enough pre-existing leverage to make his idea reality. On May 20, 1873, they got the patent and created the first ever pair of blue jeans.
From there, Levi Strauss & Co. became a household name, and was so integrated into American culture that it became a part of the American Dream. The influence and importance that comes with inventing the first ever blue jeans makes the company much more credible; the people can make an immediate connection with such a classic brand.
In 1872, Strauss received a letter from a man named Jacob Davis, who was a customer of Strauss' company. This letter would change both of their lives, for he had a brilliant technique he wanted to share with Strauss. He said that he makes rivets in the pants he makes to make them more durable, make them last longer. You see, they both had something the other needed; Davis may have had the idea, but he needed a business partner with enough pre-existing leverage to make his idea reality. On May 20, 1873, they got the patent and created the first ever pair of blue jeans.
From there, Levi Strauss & Co. became a household name, and was so integrated into American culture that it became a part of the American Dream. The influence and importance that comes with inventing the first ever blue jeans makes the company much more credible; the people can make an immediate connection with such a classic brand.
Timeline of major points in Levi's history
The Struggle to Stay RelevantTo stay on top of the podium created a surplus of stress for the denim brand. The pressure of our ever-growing and ever-changing society was placed on Levi's and caused tensions to rise between the desire to be authentic and the fear of losing relevance. Following some changes Levi's made to their composition as a brand, they began to lose sight of the one thing they were founded upon and the one thing they value above all else today: authenticity.
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Technology and entertainment are going at breakneck speeds, but the offset of that is what? Authenticity. And no one can deliver it better than Levi’s. - James "JC" Curleigh (former president of Levi's brand) |