Levi’s® launched a new spring campaign — “Buy Better, Wear Longer” — that raises awareness and speaks about the environmental impacts of apparel production and consumption.

The inspiring group of changemakers include Jaden Smith, Xiye Bastida, Melati Wijsen, Xiuhtezcatl, Emma Chamberlain and Marcus Rashford MBE.

“Ultimately, Levi’s denim is meant to be worn for generations, not seasons. So we are also using this campaign to encourage consumers to be more intentional about their apparel choices: to wear each item longer, for example, to buy SecondHand, or to use our in-store Tailor Shops to extend the life of their garments,” says Jennifer Sey, Brand President. “As a company that has celebrated pioneers and aspired to bring inventive environmental solutions to the market, we saw our voice in these young leaders. Change will come if we all work together and we’re humbled to partner with them in reducing our collective impact on the planet.”

Buy Better, Wear Longer also encapsulates Levi’s ongoing efforts to drive more sustainable production practices: by driving ambitious climate and water action and by investing in materials and technologies such as Cottonized Hemp and Organic Cotton, and scaling Water<Less manufacturing, Levi’s is working to reduce their own natural resource footprint and help deliver a more planet-friendly apparel industry. In fact, to cite one example, 76% of all Levi Strauss & Co. products, and 70% of all Levi’s bottoms and Trucker Jackets are now made using our Water<Less technology — built on a series of finishing techniques and water recycling guidelines that have saved more than 4 billion liters of water and resulted in the recycling of nearly 10 billion liters of water since they were first introduced. These innovations have been open-sourced to share and encourage the industry to adopt these water saving practices.

Between 2005 and 2020, global clothing consumption doubled. 

“You experience the difference when you have jeans that have been through it all with you, or when you go thrifting for second hand jeans. A pair of Levi’s holds up better, and holds its value longer. It's both a physical and an emotional durability that we strive to offer consumers by investing in quality and designing for lasting value.” — Paul Dillinger, VP Product Innovation.

The campaign partners share both their passion for this effort and their sense of urgency. Emma Chamberlain is a leading voice among her generation. She’s a true fashion lover who prefers thrifting, secondhand and making something old, new again. Longtime brand partner and like-minded thinker, Jaden Smith’s interest in water has led him to raise awareness around the planet's limited resources. Marcus Rashford, an English footballer, is a philanthropist and fierce advocate for youth from underserved communities.

“The world we live in encourages us to constantly buy. It puts us in this bad cycle. I’m glad that Levi’s is changing that message by making thrifting cool. Some of my favorite pairs are thrifted. And I’m even more happy to see that Levi’s is supporting these amazing young voices who are all speaking up for the environment.” — Jaden Smith

 Melati Wijsen, a 20-year-old Indonesian social entrepreneur, co-founded a non-profit that successfully campaigned to ban plastic bags from Bali in 2019 and is focusing now on empowering youth. Xiye Bastida, born and raised in San Pedro Tultepec, Mexico, a town stricken by both drought and floods, knows first-hand what climate change can bring and is taking to the streets to fight for a more planet-friendly future. Indigenous climate activist and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl has produced tracks like "What the Frack'' and "Speak for the Trees," where he blends music with environmental justice.

“The climate crisis is the biggest threat that we have but it’s also the biggest opportunity we have to move forward.” — Xiye Bastida

The Buy Better, Wear Longer campaign will be carried out on all Levi's platforms – digital, social, and broadcast – globally in an effort to share this message far and wide, and as a reminder that a sustainable future is one where companies and consumers around the world come together to rethink fashion.