Case Study
Bridging Brand & Youth Culture
December 2005
Amplifying youth voices with "Antidote" for Levi's pan-European brand revival.
Project Overview
In 2005, I contributed to a groundbreaking project for Levi Strauss & Co., aimed at authentically connecting the iconic denim brand with youth culture across Europe. As the Lead Producer at Red Planet Productions, I oversaw the video content creation for the "Antidote" programme, an innovative initiative supporting independent zine publishers and fostering grassroots events.
Situation
Levi's sought to reinvigorate its brand image among young consumers by supporting and amplifying youth-created media. The 'Antidote' programme was a multi-faceted initiative designed to create authentic connections with the youth market. It comprised several key elements:
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A quarterly 'meta-zine' that curated content from independent zines across Europe, to be distributed for free in Levi's stores.
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Financial support for zines to host live events, fostering grassroots cultural activities.
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A dedicated website showcasing zine content and featuring video coverage of youth-driven events, serving as an engaging gateway to Levi's online presence.
The challenge was to create a mutually beneficial relationship between the brand and its target audience without appearing inauthentic or overly commercial. Our specific task was to produce engaging video content that would authentically represent these subcultures while subtly aligning with Levi's brand values.
Task
My role was to manage the production of video content for 15 youth events across five European countries, ensuring that we captured the essence of each subculture while adhering to the project's low-key branding strategy. This involved coordinating international film crews, managing post-production, and facilitating stakeholder approvals—all within a tight three-month timeframe.
Actions
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Strategic Planning: Developed a comprehensive production schedule to cover 15 events across the UK, Germany, Norway, Spain, and the Netherlands, balancing logistical efficiency with creative flexibility.
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Resource Management: Sourced and managed local film crews in each country, ensuring consistent quality while adapting to local contexts.
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Stakeholder Management: Created a password-protected client area on our website to streamline the approval process, facilitating collaboration between the agency, client, and zine creators.
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Content Strategy: Worked closely with editors and translators to craft compelling narratives that resonated with local youth cultures while maintaining a cohesive overall brand story.
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Technical Implementation: Oversaw the setup of a robust digital infrastructure to handle the upload, review, and distribution of video content across multiple platforms.
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Quality Assurance: Implemented a rigorous review process to ensure all content met both creative and technical standards before distribution.
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Cross-functional Collaboration: Liaised with Levi's marketing team and the Lateral agency to align video content with the broader Antidote campaign, including print and digital media.
Actions
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Content Strategy: Worked closely with editors and translators to craft compelling narratives that resonated with local youth cultures while maintaining a cohesive overall brand story.
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Technical Implementation: Oversaw the setup of a robust digital infrastructure to handle the upload, review, and distribution of video content across multiple platforms.
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Quality Assurance: Implemented a rigorous review process to ensure all content met both creative and technical standards before distribution.
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Cross-functional Collaboration: Liaised with Levi's marketing team and the Lateral agency to align video content with the broader Antidote campaign, including print and digital media.
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Phase 2: Addressing Start Time, End Time, Break, and Mileage discrepancies (an additional 14% of issues)
Results
The project exceeded expectations:
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Week 1 of Version 1: 69% of Location and Signature issues were resolved by clients on the platform, resulting in a 40% reduction in Finance department workload.
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One Month After Version 2: 89% of all targeted issues were resolved on the platform, leading to a 64% reduction in Finance department workload.
These improvements translated to:
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Significant time savings for both the Finance department and branch staff.
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Reduced client inconvenience.
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Estimated savings of six person-days per week in the Finance department alone.
Key Learnings
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Cross-functional collaboration is crucial: Working closely with Finance, Development, and Design teams ensured a comprehensive solution.
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User-centric design pays off: Our focus on usability testing and iteration led to high adoption rates.
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Phased launches can accelerate value delivery: By releasing features incrementally, we were able to demonstrate value quickly and gather feedback for future improvements.
Areas for Improvement
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Implementing a comprehensive change management plan, including a go-to-market product marketing plan for clients, could have led to faster adoption.
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Introducing incentives for clients to use the new system could have led to higher engagement.
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Exploring AI solutions for validating the remaining 8% of Receipt Photos that need manual checking.
Conclusion
This project not only solved a significant business problem but also marked my successful transition from Senior UX Designer to Product Manager. By leveraging my design background and developing new product management skills, I was able to lead the creation of an impactful feature that saved the company money, improved efficiency, and enhanced client satisfaction.