LEVI'S "THE STRANGER" TV COMMERCIAL 1970's

[TheRockandroll420]

Make them again skiing jeans suck

[newalm]

Pause it at exactly 0:21, the "tall stranger" has the face of duck!

[avantisprod]

Television commercials are a form of religious literature. They put forward a concept of sin, intimations of the way to redemption, and a vision of Heaven. - Neil Postman, Conscientious Objections, Chapter 6

[avantisprod]

An iconic Ken Nordine piece. I had forgotten this commercial existed, but I regard it rather "high" in the museum of advertising. If it were in the service of a political or ethical issue, it would be subversive, but in the mission of selling product, it's just another expression of the capitalist creed.

[mittens]

I will never forget that stranger and what he did for my town.

[newalm]

Was this commercial directed by George Romero?

[70sman4ever]

News update: I now own 15 pairs of Levi Panatela bellbottoms from the 70s in all colors possible! Go on ebay and check them out. Dull is out of style! You dig it?!

[skiman451]

I am looking for the stranger who came into our town story that ken nordine tells and this comercial is based on if anyone knows were it is posted please let me know

[Fladavenue]

Hippy girl at NO SUGAR TONIGHT 1970

[ViLLaPiNoZ]

pause somewhere around 0:30 you see a weird skull shading from the eyes and mouth.

[handel1111]

this ad is kinda creepy

[coprographia]

The 70's ruined everything

[70sman4ever]

@coprographia and the 21st century destroyed humanity!! The 70s will build it back up! That's why Ii wear Levi Panatela slacks with bellbottoms! In a burnt orange color. Can you dig it?!

[70sman4ever]

It's about time that men start changing their "dull", drab, and sloppy look and change to these beautiful pants, bellbottomed with colors. I wear bellbottoms like these every day of my life! maybe they should air this ad again on TV and Levis should start making these bellbottoms one more time. Wake up men! Let's not be dull anymore! Dig?!

[Zeab70]

Anyone know the year this first appeared?

[70sman4ever]

@Zeab70 around 1971 or 1972...This was part of the Lei Panatela collection which also made suits. I own two three-piece Panatela polyester 70s suits and about 6 pairs of these bells, from mint green to plaid to navy blue and lately, brick red. Outta sight!

[Zeab70]

@70sman4ever Thanks!

[codyki]

The voice over? That's Walt Whitman. Recorded on an Edison cylinder in 1890.

[ArchDukeMiles]

The speaker is Ken Nordine, famous for his word jazz recordings. Check out "Green" on Youtube from his album Colours.

[Fallen0paper]

lol!

[kommievision]

truly the greatest gift to man ever created! thank you thank you thank you dear jesus thank you

[newalm]

Can you imagine if this commercial was aired now on TV? People would laugh!

[70sman4ever]

@newalm Maybe you would but not me! I want this ad back on TV and it's time men changed their dull fashion!

[newalm]

Remember 517 Levi's cord jeans?

[brownsugah66]

and they look so good again, I could take em anywhere!

I'm using them as cut-offs and flying in the air,

Now I really think it's time that I bought another pair?

[brownsugah66]

Can anyone post this commercial?

I bought a pair of Levis, they've really been around,

I've taken em dancing and I lay em on the ground,

I've took em to parties and climbed them up a tree,

and they've been to school so often, they're nearly smart as me.

and after years and years of wearing my Levis in and out,

I couldn't help a noticing a knee wore out,

So I sewed on a patch, a flower here and there,

[arleighb]

@brownsugah66 did anyone post the video for that levi's commercial? I used to love that one, and I have it memorized too!

[brownsugah66]

@arleighb I don't think so I haven't found it as yet....

[newalm]

Thank God "Dull" is back in style!

[InsertName125]

It sure is.

[serotine9]

That's brilliant! I love it.

[mhirtes12]

LEE-VIY-ZUH!!

[moxie96]

the art reminds me of the cover of the first electric prunes album from 1967

[newalm]

A rip-off from "Night of the living dead". But instead of keeping the zombies at bay with a flaming torch, this guy keeps them a bay with a pair of tacky plaid pants!

[EvanCWaters]

Special guest director, George A. Romero!

[stencil62]

Wow i don't remember this but its very cool. Too bad comercials today are so boring

[loveisok]

i remember this levi's ad when a woment was talking about jeans and a cat at the end say's "nice" in anime. I think it was shown during the guyana tragety(jim Jones)

[Synthetrix]

Scary!

[gibranw]

No wonder I used to be so scared as a kid to watch tv in the 70's! Jeez!

[UnrealHel]

How i would love if that commercial were shown on tv today.

[gizmobaba]

polyester is a horrible thing , another thing this commercial is creep esp the music

[Roguear]

This brings back horrific memories of a fiery car accident of my childhood that fused my plaid dacron polyester pants to my legs giving me second degree plaid scars. I can't go to the beach!!! :(

[fmita]

plaid is my favorite color. i credit that to two Catholic High School friends of mine from the early 1970's ...Rosemary and MaryAnn ...

[Roguear]

Okay I was in the primary grades at the time and loved my contemporary plaid levis.

[MadameLil]

Those pants look so hideous now. From this commercial, though, they seemed like a miracle ... double knit polyester was practically the future.

I'll take my men in solid-color pants or pinstripes, thanks.

[renoguard2]

I am glad I was too young to remember too much of the 70's.

[laughingsal]

My old boss and mentor, Gregg Snazelle, produced this. It was a breakthough commercial-- Yay Gregg Yay Chris Blum!

[Jal8919536]

The same technique used to transfer the patterns onto the clothes was also used in "Gankutsuou: Count of Monte Cristo" to avoid continuity gaffes.

[speier]

Ken Nordine is the BEST VOCAL ARTIST OF ALL TIME.

[CaptainWrong]

Been wanting to see this for years. Read about it in a book ages ago and it just sounded so wild.

NIce they let Nordine get so much of his own personality in the spot. "How are things in your town?"

Classic.

[gilgamess]

Agreed, great ad! I had completely forgotten about it. The "How are things in your town?"

line is a very obscure inside joke. Nordine's first album, "Word Jazz", has a track called, "Flibberty Jib" that ends with the same line. It's also about a stranger that comes into a town, albeit with less success than Mr. Glowy-Pants does.

[electrojones]

LSD doesn't do much for spellling, though.

[Makerscinematic]

LSD can do amazing things for an add.

[Civanfan]

Thank goodness dull is back in style again.

[Badgerinmaine]

I remember thinking this ad was creepy as a kid...And imagine bragging about plaid dacron ployester!

[ProductionX]

I used to had a copy of this ad up before I was suspended last time, but this ad had the notoriety of being stuck in an animation film festival compilation that was once on video over 25 years ago. The voice in this and a few other ads you have up is Ken Nordine.