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When Beyoncé launched the track list to her album Cowboy Carter ahead of its release in March 2024, Levis chief marketing officer Kenny Mitchell spotted an opportunity. Noticing the song Leviis Jeans, Mitchell moved quickly, renaming the brands social channels as Leviisa move that he says paved the way for one of the brands most ambitious and effective collaborations. Its resulted in a series of ads, a capsule collection, and innumerably viral moments on Beyoncés Cowboy Carter tour, with the singer wearing custom Levis throughout. I connected with Mitchell for a wide-ranging conversation where he shared his playbook for the groundbreaking Beyoncé colab, how subcultures can be just as important as mass-market events, why he and Levi’s didn’t buckle in the face of the pressure for the company to drop its DEI initiatives, and his four-step process for crafting a compelling brand story. [Photo: Levi’s] How do you identify brand partners? Obviously Beyoncé is part of that, but how else do you try to connect Levis to the zeitgeist? Often when we show up in culture, it can happen in the form of being adjacent and connected to some of the biggest icons in the world. Beyoncé is a great representation of that. But it also is a showing up meaningfully in important subcultures. A subculture we connected with is sneakerheads with the Air Max collaboration that we had with Nike last month, which sold in minutes on our site. Another example is working with streetwear designer Tremaine Emory and Denim Tears, which is a longtime partnership. Levis chief marketing officer Kenny Mitchell [Photo: Levi’s] If you think about culture more broadly, the mainstream right now is made up of a bunch of things that used to be in subcultures. That’s where so much opinion is initially built and formed. We look at these opportunities to show up in culture as a way to demonstrate some of the elasticity of our brand. So it’s important for us to be deep in the subcultures, while remaining a democratic brand thats top of mind for people regardless of your station in life. This final installment of the “Reiimagine” campaign with Beyoncé is coming on the heels of the American Eagle ad with Sydney Sweeneyand all of the backlash to it, amid this broader trend of brands moving away from the idea of diversity and that “democratic” approach, as you put it. Levis has remained committed to those ideas, though. How do you view Levis in this moment? I cant really speak to other brands, but what I can say is that we as a brand have done our best to operate in a way that’s consistent with our values. You can see that in things like our Pride collection, which we continue to execute and be very proud of. We are a global company and we are activating in ways that reflect our fans and our consumersand they are diverse by nature. So we are going to keep operating in that fashion. We recently had a proxy challenge against some of our DEI efforts, and Im incredibly proud that our executive team, our board, as well as our shareholders completely rejected that, and weve stayed committed to operating in ways that are aligned with our values. [Photo: Levi’s] How have you used the “Reiimagine” campaign to live up to those values? At the heart of the “Reiimagined” campaign is the fact that Levis has served as what we call this “uniform of progress.” Thats a key part of what we often talk about in terms of breaking and building the codes of culture. Beyoncé has been driving a tremendous amount of progress in culture. So what weve created together is reinterpreting iconic ads that were almost always shown through the lens of a white male protagonist and centering them on a woman of color in an empowering way. Its very much aligned with our strategy and brand point of view of being this outfitter of the worlds change agents, icons, and originals. With the 501 Curvy product, were using Beyoncé as an example of how were taking an iconic look and continuing to evolve and progress it. Its an opportunity to take the insights we hear from our fans and uses these great cultural moments to help elevate some of our product innovation stories. [Photo: Levi’s] When youre developing a campaign or strategy, how do you identify what will make an impact? When I think about storytelling, I have a little acronym that I sometimes useCASE. C stands for creative, A stands for authentic, S stands for strategic, and E stands for emotional. With the C, are you tackling your storytelling in a way that’s novel, that’s interesting, that’s creative? The A: Is the story youre telling authentic to your consumer and fan, and is it also true to the brand? Those pieces are really important. Strategic: Is it answering the brief? Because creativity without strategy is artand Im not in the business of making art. Im doing marketing and advertising. I want people to act or change their belief or perception. And the E: Does it make you feel something? When I embark on just about any effort, thats a framework that ive taken with me everywhere and its served me decently well.
Category:
E-Commerce
For the past couple of months, I’ve been using a prerelease smartphone operating system that represents a significant design overhaul, with a greater focus on transparency and new visual elements that respond realistically to your touches and swipes. No, Im not talking about iOS 26, where Apple is seemingly changing its mind about the extent of its Liquid Glass design language with every subsequent beta. There are some great new features in thereand iPadOS 26 is huge for productivitybut Id recommend most iPhone users wait for it to cook a little longer before checking it out. Im talking about Googles Material 3 Expressive version of Android 16, which has been available on Pixel phones in beta form since May. Ive been running it on my Pixel 9 since it was first released to developer channels. Its flown under the radar somewhat, because although Android 16 has been publicly available for some time, this new accompanying redesign wasnt timed for the launchwhich made for an underwhelming update. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/multicore_logo.jpg","headline":"Multicore","description":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It's written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit multicore.blog","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} Thats a shame, because Material 3 Expressive is actually really great which is good news for anyone thinking of picking up a new Pixel 10-series phone when they launch next month. Expressive Material 3 Expressive is kind of a convoluted name, building off the previous Material You language, which in turn was a spin on Material Design. But expressive is as good a word as any to encapsulate what Google is trying to do here. The software feels playful and interactive in a way that Android rarely has. It starts with how Google is handling physics and haptics throughout the operating system. There are countless new animations and effects that make it more fun and responsive to use. The volume slider now has an incredibly subtle haptic effect that makes you feel like youre sliding a scroll wheel back and forth, for example, while notifications or recent apps in the multitasking menu all react to each other in physically consistent ways. You know how it feels to finally loosen a book from a crammed shelf? Thats kind of what its like to dismiss a notification hereit looks and feels like youre squeezing it out of a stacked list. [Art: Material 3 Expressive] Material 3 Expressive backs up the haptic feedback with animations that give on-screen elements a more physical feel. Buttons shift shapes depending on their activation state, while neighboring items in lists react to what youve selected. This design approach is particularly well-suited to Wear OS, which is now solely deployed on circular smartwatches; crucial buttons dynamically shrink and expand to fill the round spaces at the edge of the screen depending on how far youve scrolled. Its the first time its really felt like a smartwatch user interface is a natural fit for a round display. Visual Overhaul Googles new take on Android also comes with a welcome visual overhaul. Its not immediately dramatic, but youll notice increased use of transparencies throughout the operating system, as well as bolder typography and brighter color schemes that adapt to your content and wallpapers. Essential UI elements like the battery indicator are now chunkier and more visible. The lock screen has received particular attention, with a larger clock design and a compact notification view that minimizes your alerts until you choose to unfurl them. The overall effect is much cleaner and feels more intentional. [Art: Material 3 Expressive] The quick settings menu, which appears above notifications when you swipe down from the top of the screen, is a particular highlight. Its always been a helpful Android feature, but this new version is more customizable than ever, even letting you edit the size of buttons in the layout. If you opt for a wider Bluetooth button, for example, the left side of the button can be used as an on/off toggle while the right side expands to show you a list of your connected devices. Googles Best Work Material 3 Expressive wont spur as much discussion or debate as Apples Liquid Glass, for better or worse. Google doesnt have the same clout to get hird-party app developers on board, and this particular flavor of Android will really only be seen on the companys own Pixel phones, which are not huge sellers in most major markets. But I really think this is some of the best design work Ive seen out of Google in recent years. While Ive always liked the Pixel version of Android, thats tended to be because of the unique functionality and the lack of bloat. Material 3 Expressive, however, feels genuinely fresh and appealing in its own right. Right now, I would say this is the most stylish and attractive software available on any phone, which might just be the first time Im able to say that about Googles own take on Android. The new Pixel 10 lineup is set to be unveiled on August 20th. They may not shoot up the smartphone sales charts, but assuming they ship with the Material 3 Expressive version of Android 16, itll be a good reason for the uninitiated to give them a closer look on launch. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/multicore_logo.jpg","headline":"Multicore","description":"Multicore is about technology hardware and design. It's written from Tokyo by Sam Byford. To learn more visit multicore.blog","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.multicore.blog","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
Popular home furnishings retailer At Home has announced that it will close additional locations as it continues to work through bankruptcy proceedings. The store closures are part of the companys efforts to get its debt under control as its bottom line continues to face several negative headwinds. Heres what you need to know about At Homes bankruptcy and its latest round of store closures. Why is At Home filing for bankruptcy? In June, At Home Group announced that it would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it struggled under $2 billion worth of debt and sales challenges. As Fast Company previously reported, At Home cited several factors leading to its increased debt load and declining sales. Those factors included inflationary pressures, reduced foot traffic, and tariff-related costs. Many of the factors are interlinked. Inflationary pressures lead to both higher prices in stores as well as a more cautious consumer, reluctant to spend their declining purchasing power on discretionary goods. The inflationary pressures arent helped by President Donald Trumps ongoing global tariff war. Trump’s tariffs, which are taxes placed on companies importing goods into America, are raising expenses for those companies, which leads to decreased profits and more debt. As profits decline and companies take on more debt, some may feel that they have little choice but to file for bankruptcy in order to get a handle on their finances. Trump’s tariffs have hit major home goods, furniture, and other retailers particularly hard, as those businesses typically import a significant amount of their goods from overseas. Announcing the bankruptcy in June, At Home CEO Brad Weston said, “[We] are operating against the backdrop of an increasingly dynamic and rapidly evolving trade environment as we navigate the impact of tariffs. At Home is now taking steps to “improve our ability to compete in the marketplace in the face of continued volatility and increase the resilience of our business for the long term,” Weston added. After At Home announced its bankruptcy filing, the company also said it would shutter over two dozen locations. Now, more have been added to that list. At Home stores closing update August 2025 In June, At Home announced it would be closing 26 of its stores as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. At the time, At Home said it operated 260 stores in 40 states. The closures represented 10% of its physical locations. Fast Company has previously reported the full list of 26 locations, which spanned 12 states. Original list: 26 closing At Home stores But now, At Home has announced that it will close an additional six locations, each in a different state. Those locations are: 3271 Market Place Drive, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 101 Randall Road, Lake in the Hills, Illinois 60156 3175 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47404 3100 Washtenaw Avenue, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197 2341 State Route 66, Ocean Township, New Jersey 07712 190 South 500 West, West Bountiful, Utah 84010 At Home did not specify when these locations would close, but Fast Company previously reported that closing locations are expected to shutter by September 30. The newly announced closing stores will continue to accept gift cards, gift certificates, and loyalty and credit card rewards through August 14. Announcing the latest round of closures, At Home said, The sales are expected to run until all merchandise, fixtures, and store equipment at the affected locations are sold.
Category:
E-Commerce
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