In the Eyes of Our Youth

In an empty parking lot, night streetlights shining in the back ground. She looks simple, like you’re next door neighbor. Wearing jeans low on the waist, with a small tank top, showing her midriff. A young woman, about 20 with her arms crossed, and a look on her face that says she’s tough, she can take it. Her looks are appealing to the casual observer; She seems to be waiting for something, or someone, as she slightly leans on the back of the only car in the lot. “Dangerously Low, LEVI’S low-rise jeans,” says the ad, there are many things odd about it. In many ways this add sticks out from the rest, most commonly ads contain perfect looking girls with their makeup done, and hair, in model perfection. But her look is simple and everyday, she would not stick out in a crowd.

There are mixed messages in the ad, some are more obvious then others. Its an ad based on common ground, the obvious message, is that any girl can wear Levi's. But why stick her in an empty parking lot, at night with streetlights shining in the distance, mostly likely because that's what young people do when their bored hang around parking lots.

This ad is aimed at young girls, not any specific age really but mostly geared towards 14 year olds and up. But why say dangerously low, in a way its telling us if you want to be dangerous, wear low-rise jeans and you too will look like her. Sexy and vulnerable. A young women alone at night, makes her more dangerous, and “cool”. Especially in a parking lot, which can be one of the scariest places for women, alone at night.

They chose her look to be simple, she doesn’t intimidate you, and she’s not based on perfection. Just an ordinary night out on the town, it’s the kind of shot that doesn’t look professional, but more random. You could just imagine having seen a girl like that in any parking lot in America. Even her jewelry is common, in fact you barely notice the jeans, until your reminded it’s a Levi’s ad. Her arms crossed betrays her tough look, basically any girl alone in a parking lot at night is vulnerable.

The very fact that young people consider, just being out driving to be fun, its assumed by the advertisers that every girl at least in some point in there lives has been out cruising.