Top 10 Power Denim Adverts That Made the Cut

07:42 0 Comments

From Brooke Shields and Kate Moss, to Flat Eric and some unknowingly brave cowgirl, the past 50 years have brought us many iconic adverts that have not only become well-known, but have also skyrocketed the featuring brand into legendary status.

Soviet pays tribute to the top 10 denim adverts:

Levi’s Laundrette: What do you get when you mix the handsome 80’s model Nick Kamen, some rocks and a Laundrette of women, with a pair of seemingly ordinary jeans? Well, if you are director Roger Lyons, you get one of the most memorable TV adverts ever made. Levi’s nailed this 185 short right on the head with a heady combination of rebellion, sex-appeal and Marvin Gaye’s “Grapevine”.


Brooke Shields: Arguably one of the most controversial child stars of all time, Brooke Shields was a mere 15 years old when she starred in the CK Calvin Klein Jeans commercial. With its innovative imagery and alluring sex appeal, CK set the foundation for an everlasting brand image. The ad also revolutionised the way Denim companies would approach their adverts in the future.


UpUp: Never the type to conform, Diesel launched a series of radically iconic and totally bizarre commercials in the 1990’s. Like most fashion adverts, the “Diesel for Successful Living” dripped with colour and sex appeal. However, Diesel added their signature ironic, absurd and shocking flair to it. The UpUp TV advert was a perfect example of this.


The Wrangler Rodeo: At the heart of the Wrangler heritage, was the old-fashioned American cowboy. This theme was prominent in their advertising throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. With a humouristic approach, Wrangler showed off their ranch-inspired, durable denims with a fire-fighting, busty blonde capturing the attention of the male market.


The Buddy-Lee Series: Using Lee’s “Buddy Lee” doll as the never-say-die heroic character in a series of adverts, director Frederick Bond created a brand new spin on Denim advertising in the new millennium. Each advert featured Buddy Lee taking on a random challenge, like Go-Karting or Kung Fu, against one of his three nemeses. In an age of sex appeal and almost-naked models, this was definitely something that stood out.


Flat Eric: With the Muppets flourishing, and pop-culture rearing its head from every corner, Bartle Bogle Hegarty created one of Levi’s most popular commercials of all time. Flat Eric and his human accomplice, Angel, are seen cruising the streets while listening to some dirty house tunes. The second installment sees them pulled over by a policeman, and their boot being inspected. The policeman finds nothing but perfectly pressed clothes. The advert, seemingly random, revived Levi’s brand and skyrocketed the Sta-Prest range into fashion.


Marky Mark Wahlberg: It seems Calvin Klein had a pennant for creating controversy behind its advertising campaigns and with Pure American bad-boy, Mark Wahlberg, as their brand representative, the brand did exactly that in the 1990’s. Featuring Mark and relatively unknown model Kate Moss in a provocative advert, Calvin Klein defined the “Heroin Chic” look of the time.


Just On: It isn’t often that a brand inspires a whole song, nevermind a legendary hit song. But it seems that the 1970’s Brutus commercial did just that for singer David Dundas. Produced by Saatchi & Saatchi, the ad was way ahead of its time and made quite an impact on the industry.


Musical Denim: If sex sells, then music sells out. The Gap used this sentiment to their advantage, and in the 1990’s got popular music artist and bands (LL Cool J, Luscious Jackson and Aerosmith) to feature in various commercials. The music did the trick and The Gap made their mark.


Jordache: With the same look and feel as the 1980’s hit movie, The Breakfast Club, mixed with a slightly more sexual CK appeal, Jordache created a number of slightly bizarre TV commercials.


Soviet, a uniquely South African brand, takes inspiration from these great leaders and adds its own Soviet Style to create inspiring advertising that will get your blood pumping in no time. Visit our Soviet stores to get a glimpse of our steaming High Summer 2015 campaign. With gorgeous Soviet clad models, exploring and enjoying life in the hot South African sun, you won't have to go back in time to find your favourite jeans and denim apparel for this Summer.