Levi’s to put dollars 90m US account up for grabs

Levi Strauss is to review its dollars 90 million US account,

dealing a blow to its agency of 67 years, Foote Cone & Belding, and

offering Bartle Bogle Hegarty a potential client for its long-awaited

entry into the US market.

The review is in the early stages and is expected to include a handful

of agencies and FCB. Goodby Silverstein and Wieden & Kennedy - which

work for Nike - will not be included.

Although BBH has not confirmed that it is on the shortlist, the agency

has enhanced its standing with Levi’s, a founding client. Robert

Holloway, BBH’s former European client, was appointed Levi’s first

vice-president of global marketing in 1996; BBH’s ’clayman’ spot was

taken up as the brand’s first global campaign in the same year; and the

agency’s Singapore office won the dollars 50 million account for the

Asia Pacific region earlier this year.

The review has been triggered by a slowdown in Levi’s sales. Steve

Goldstein, vice-president for marketing and research for Levi’s in the

US, said: ’We continue to get competitive pressure from designers and

private labels.’ Commenting on FCB, he added: ’We know what we have, but

we don’t know what is available.’

This article was first published on Campaign