Inspired by his grandmother, Levi's CMO adopted the mantra "we are here to be in service of others." This reframes leadership away from authority and toward a purpose of enabling and supporting the people around you—be it team members, colleagues, or the broader community.
To get employees to believe in a bold growth plan, leaders must be evangelists for the mission. Highlighting early successes, like a partnership with Beyoncé, proves collective capability and creates a virtuous cycle of pride and momentum that fuels future efforts and builds confidence.
The 'CASE' framework (Creative, Authentic, Strategic, Emotional) provides a shared language to assess marketing work. It ensures efforts are novel, true to the brand and consumer, answer the business brief, and make the audience feel something, increasing the probability of success.
For beloved brands like Levi's, positive associations are often rooted in the past. The core marketing challenge is to create modern-day cultural moments—like a Beyoncé collaboration—to drive "for me, right now" relevance and shift the brand perception from nostalgic to current.
Citing Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's mantra, "the standard is the standard," Levi's CMO views his role as a shepherd ensuring marketing meets its historically high bar. This creates a culture of accountability where the standard of work transcends any individual contributor.
Before launching ambitious campaigns, it's crucial to solidify the brand's core point of view. For Levi's, this meant moving from generalities like "originality" to an ownable stance—outfitting the world's progress-driving originals—which then served as the foundation for creative work.
Instead of creating a standalone ad, Levi's strategically used its Super Bowl investment as the kickoff for its 2026 global campaign. This reframes the high cost as a platform for ongoing storytelling, maximizing its long-term value beyond a single moment.
To jump from $6.5B to $10B, Levi's leadership believes its brand equity is significantly larger than its current revenue. This mindset, learned from high-growth companies like Snap and Elf, fuels an audacious "make no small plans" strategy essential for dramatic growth.