Levi’s Advert - A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 3. Scene 1

Synopsis: Act III i of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights Dream is given an urban 21st century twist in an advert for Levi 501 Jeans with Anti-Fit. The scene is ‘translated’ from the fairy forest to a gritty street in downtown LA. Bottom, the hero, who is played by American film and TV actress Jessica Alba’s model-turned-actor brother, Joshua Alba, walks past a gang of men wearing unfashionably high waisted jeans. Using the words from Shakespeare’s play, one of the men (Quince?) says "Bottom thou art changed, what do I see on thee", as he grabs Bottom’s loose fit 501s. Meanwhile Titania, played by 70s disco diva Donna Summer’s daughter, Amanda Sudano, awakes in a cafe and is mysteriously drawn out onto the street towards Bottom, saying, "Mine eye is enthralled to thy shape". The advertising agency is Bartle Bogle Hegarty.
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Multimedia; Television
Technical information: Colour / Sound
Year of release: 2005
Transmission details: 14 Feb 2005 at 21:15 (Channel: Channel Four)
Duration: 1 mins

Director

Contributor

Cast

Amanda Sudano	Titania
Joshua Alba	Nick Bottom

Notes: A 90 second clip can be viewed at the production company’s website at www.bartleboglehegarty.com
General: Levi Strauss spent £21 million on this campaign. Many of the Will & Company actors were auditioned for the the African-American parts.
History: In the UK the advert premiered on the 14 February 2005 (St Valentine’s Day) on Channel 4. The ad is dubbed into Italian, French, Spanish and German and subtitled in Scandinavian countries.
Awards: Cannes Lions - International Advertising Festival, 2005 (Silver Lion ) for Clothing, Footwear & Accessories
Reviews: The comments of Nick Gill, creative director, on the thinking behind the commercial can be read at www.teachers.tv/video/2559/resources (accessed 7/2007).