Bye Bye Belly Button (found alternate version of Levi's Superlow Jeans commercial; 2001)
One of the singing belly buttons in the commercial.
Status: Found
Date found: 01 Jul 2024
Found by: @VintageVHS2
Debuting in June of 2001, Levi's Straus & Co. aired a commercial advertising their new "Superlow Jeans".[1] The original ad, dubbed "Belly Button," was produced by the TBWA/Chiat/Day advertising agency and directed by Michel Gondry. The ad focused on close-ups of women's belly buttons, edited to move as though they are talking mouths.[2] The belly buttons lip-sync to a cover of Diana Ross's song "I'm Coming Out," performed by actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, in celebration that the advertised jeans allow them to be exposed. [3][4]
Description
On November 26, 2001, a TV special called "The WB Presents: Teen People's What's Next" aired on the WB. The special is said to have been a concert which focused on "showcasing profiles and performances of Teen People Magazine's picks for the next generation of actors and musicians."[5]
During the commercial breaks, a variant of the commercial. Dubbed "Bye Bye Belly Button," it was meant to signify the end of the advertising campaign, as well as to serve as a preview towards a new line of jeans dubbed "Superlow stretch." [1] The ad was intended to only air once, apparently at 21:38 Eastern Time.[6][3]
The ad starts with one of the belly buttons singing I’m Coming Out, before they realize that they have been singing for months and is getting tired of going out.
Availability
On July 1st, 2024, YouTuber VintageVHS2 uploaded a full recording of "Teen People’s What’s Next 2001" in full on their YouTube channel. In said recording, the alt version of the ad is shown.
Video
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://upi.com/Odd_News/2001/11/27/Of-Human-Interest-News-lite/33251006854300/
- ↑ https://adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/18265/belly-button/levis
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://adweek.com/brand-marketing/levis-reveals-glimpse-post-belly-button-ad-campaign-53224/
- ↑ https://adage.com/article/behind-the-work/d-spot/92398
- ↑ https://imdb.com/title/tt0304918/
- ↑ https://bloomberg.com/press-releases/2001-11-27/contributor-missing-headline