Braddock delighted to partner with Levi's

Out of the blue came the jeans people.

With about 501 reasons to bypass Braddock, Levi Strauss & Co. instead selected the struggling Mon Valley community to be the focus of a multimillion-dollar, national ad campaign for its 501 jeans and other denim offerings.

Beginning Friday, a dozen Braddock residents will be showcased in a series of ads, wearing Levi garb as they work in their town. The obvious question here: "Why Braddock?"

Even its most ardent supporters likely would agree the town of about 3,000 isn't photogenic. With shuttered storefronts and vacant lots dominating what remains of its central business district, portions of it are downright unappealing.

"Our new campaign is about celebrating the pioneering spirit of workers everywhere," said Doug Sweeny, Levi's brand vice president of marketing. "We focused on Braddock because it has such a compelling and inspiring story of reinvention."

Not everyone finds that story -- or the debut ad -- quite as compelling as Sweeny.

Previewing the campaign, Chicago Sun-Times media reporter Lewis Lazare wrote: "In the launch spot, the Braddock residents aren't doing much work. Most of the time, they are seen standing around and looking rather sad -- as well they should be, given the horribly rundown look of the town."

Braddock Mayor John Fetterman wasn't sad Tuesday when discussing the unexpected turn of events. "This is a very positive development for the community," he said.

Braddock appeared on Levi's radar last year, following an article in The New York Times on the town's ongoing attempts to reverse decades of decline.

Levi "contacted me last fall, did an exploratory visit and presented the concept of a partnership between the company and the community," said Fetterman, who won't appear in the ads. "What they were offering wasn't participation in a marketing campaign, but an incredible opportunity."

The timing couldn't have been better.

The borough's largest employer, UPMC, had announced plans to close its Braddock hospital. The January closure left the town without so much as a single ATM machine.

"(UPMC) bailed on us and wanted nothing to do with us. Then an iconic brand like Levi says they want to center an entire ad campaign around us," Fetterman said. "It was such a contrast."

Fetterman said he is aware some "snarky bloggers" might accuse Levi of exploiting a downtrodden old mill town to sell clothes. To counter that argument, he notes the company is providing the borough with more than national exposure.

Levi is giving Braddock more than $1 million over the next two years. It will use the money to renovate the community center and support the Braddock Urban Farm, which supplies produce to local restaurants and operates an on-site farmer's market.

"It wasn't like they just said, 'Here's a couple pairs of free jeans; come appear in our ads,' " Fetterman said.

This hardly is a turning point for Braddock.

But lest they appear foolish, those who might unwisely and incorrectly suggest this is an insignificant development probably should keep their lips in the same state they hopefully keep their jeans. Zipped.