Levis Supporst Gay Marriage in its Stores

Levi's recently took a bold step and visibly aligned its brand with those that support gay marriage rights. In company-owned stores across the country, it affixed to its mannequins the white knots that those in California and elsewhere are brandishing in rejection of a voter-approved amendment that defines marriage solely as a union between a woman and a man. The state's Supreme Court decided earlier this week to uphold that amendment. The jeans maker no doubt realizes that it risks alienating some consumers, but this is not the first time it has sought to align its name with a social cause. In the early 1990s it launched “Project Change” to address racism; became the first Fortune 500 company to provide domestic partnership health benefits; and stopped funding the Boy Scouts following the group's firing of a gay scout leader. The company's headquarters sit in San Francisco, home to arguably the country's strongest gay community, and more recently it has sponsored MTV Networks' gay cable channel, Logo, as well as thrown its support behind the anti-Prop 8 movement last year. Earlier this week, the company donated thousands of dollars to The National Center for Lesbian Rights and The San Francisco LGBT Community Center. So while the white knots don't represent a huge stretch for Levi's, the move sets the company apart from the competition. In taking such a stand, Levi's marks itself as an activist brand, but one that is smartly looking to build upon a movement that it sees as worthwhile and energetic. Instead of just selling to a community, it is becoming part of a community, and therein lies the key. Full Story from PR Week - Click Here

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