We would work months coming up with psychedelic effects, and a lot of the time they would be mistakes, but look better than what we planned! Long hours on the camera but then we'd watch this stuff on a moviola and be blown away!
No CGI here! All hand-rotoscoped, hand-animated and early analog "motion control" to layer different actors on a blue screen. Opticals were so bad they had to shoot back-lit "glows" on animation stands to hide the matte lines! Ahh, the good ol' days!
This is a really great commercial. Somehow, I wouldn't expect "warm fuzzies" like the kids playing ball or the "pet trademark" to blend well at all with the sci-fi future world of the neon street, but this ad pulls it off. And the ending rose is a sweet coda: "...it just has to be good."
This commercial was groundbreaking stuff back then. You can see the 70s still had some of the psychedelic influence of the 60s but they were using it more creatively with newer technology. Levi's was known for its cutting edge commercials back then.
I grew up in the 70s (I was 9 years old in 1976), and I vaguely remember this commercial. Dang, it's so surreal! I guess people really were smoking a lot of dope back in those days! Wow!
Wow, if no one had told me this was indeed a 1977 Levis advert I'd assume it was a modern advert trying to look retro. That's some pretty nice stuff going on there for something over 30yrs old.
A CLASSIC!!!
Pookatube 2 months ago
Ken Nordine's voiceover plus the trippy imagery and the ambient music... HNNNNNNNNNGH. So much awesome.
singinglawnchair 9 months ago 2
Gnarly,dude.
snarkus63 10 months ago
For the era, I'll bet the faceless people not wearing Levi's were walking like a bunch of stiffs because they're wearing Toughskins.
Watcher3223 11 months ago
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Right on Kimbo! I did'nt think I would ever see this again. Thanks for posting it! Especially since you're skateboarding in it!
fatalcoolfatalcool 1 year ago
Right on Kimbo! I did'nt think I would ever see this again. Thanks for posting it! Especially since you're skateboarding in it!
fatalcoolfatalcool 1 year ago
Whenever I see this ad, I also remember Dynamite magazine and how sometimes cereal boxes would have 45 rpm records on the boxes.
fhood 1 year ago 2
@fhood
And they really worked. Ah, back in the day.
SgtRock57 1 year ago
We would work months coming up with psychedelic effects, and a lot of the time they would be mistakes, but look better than what we planned! Long hours on the camera but then we'd watch this stuff on a moviola and be blown away!
xlntpix 2 years ago
No CGI here! All hand-rotoscoped, hand-animated and early analog "motion control" to layer different actors on a blue screen. Opticals were so bad they had to shoot back-lit "glows" on animation stands to hide the matte lines! Ahh, the good ol' days!
xlntpix 2 years ago
holy smokes, 1977!!!????? How many CRAYs worked to produce those CGI effects?
Wyrmshadow 2 years ago
Ken Nordine's voice is mesmerizing. The final sequence is right out of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
bake65 2 years ago
This is a really great commercial. Somehow, I wouldn't expect "warm fuzzies" like the kids playing ball or the "pet trademark" to blend well at all with the sci-fi future world of the neon street, but this ad pulls it off. And the ending rose is a sweet coda: "...it just has to be good."
Down10 2 years ago
This commercial was groundbreaking stuff back then. You can see the 70s still had some of the psychedelic influence of the 60s but they were using it more creatively with newer technology. Levi's was known for its cutting edge commercials back then.
emulb2001 2 years ago 7
This is just a really cool commercial.
wilkes85 3 years ago
Was I just brainwashed?
TheGreatJohnCrawf 3 years ago 14
simply amazing
holke79 3 years ago
I remember these commercials well. They were standouts and ahead of their time. Good 70s times.
Synthetrix 3 years ago
I grew up in the 70s (I was 9 years old in 1976), and I vaguely remember this commercial. Dang, it's so surreal! I guess people really were smoking a lot of dope back in those days! Wow!
fhood 3 years ago 2
God I wish I still smoked weed. This would be cool to watch high.
billybassman21 4 years ago 2
interesting
soniccage 2 years ago
Wow, if no one had told me this was indeed a 1977 Levis advert I'd assume it was a modern advert trying to look retro. That's some pretty nice stuff going on there for something over 30yrs old.
tastycrisp 4 years ago
NICE VAX SOFTWARE BACK THERE THAT TIME
AlwaysGutom 4 years ago
Nice to hear the Ken Nordine Voice Over.
Very advanced animation for 1977 too
mimsy1 4 years ago