Akshay Kumar Mumbai, Aug 22: The hottest Kinng of Bollywood, Akshay Kumar, is not just cashing upon

his series of superhits these days, but has also become the hot favourite w ith the advertisers. The heartthrob has recently signed a whopping Rs 15 crore d eal with Levi s for an advertisement to promote the brand s 501(R) Jean . Related Stories Akshay- the undisputed king of Bollywood, bags Rs72 crore deal Akki will soon be seen unbuttoning his jeans in a steamy Levi`s ad, also featuri ng US supermodel Saira. The actor reportedly shot for the commercial with foreig n models in Los Angeles recently and was apparently paid in crores for a one-yea r contract. Levi s 501 is a direct descendant of the first pair of the brand s jeans ever made. The message being Live Unbuttoned , really appealed to Akshay, and he has also like d all the international ads that they have previously shot for the 501 button fl y. Talking to the media about the campaign, Akshay said, "The word unbuttoned has a meaning for me. I am very selective in choosing the brands I endorse. The image and positioning of the brand is of utmost importance. Everything else is second ary." The concept of the campaign is about freedom as it talks about the pleasure that a woman gets by unbuttoning the jeans. According to sources, Akki has even told the brand manager that not just the physical aspect of unbuttoning but the enti re campaign could be woven around the watchword Live life unbuttoned or liberate y ourself. The campaign is scheduled to be launched by the brand ambassador Akshay, in a me ga event in Mumbai, on August 26. SHAHID KApoor Levi Strauss has signed Kaminey star Shahid Kapur as their new brand ambassador this season. This is Shahid?s biggest ever endorsement deal. Shahid is going strong on endorsement front with Levi?s. The young actor has rep laced Deepika Padukone whose contract with Levi?s got over last year in December . This time, the brand was on the lookout for a male ambassador. However, Akshay Kumar is still the Levi?s 501 ambassador. A Levi?s spokesperson is quoted as saying, ?Shahid Kapur is a youth icon and has a great fan following.? Levi?s also believe that Shahid can be good representat ive of both youth and style. India has noticed a good rise in the market for the Levi Strauss as a brand. Shahid is the only another man from Bollywood who has been signed by Levi?s afte r Akshay. Otherwise, the brand always focuses on female actresses. In the past t he brand has had Sushmita Sen and Kangana Ranaut as their ambassadors. Shahid has signed a one-year contract to endorse the entire range of jeans-wear and accessories. On being roped in by Levi?s, Shahid feels ?excited? and ?great? to be ?associated? with such a big brand.

DEEPIKA Levis Strauss India has roped in Om Shanti Om star Deepika Padukone as national br and ambassador for its brand Levi Strauss Signature. The denim brand has also un veiled a new contest titled Dart to Win that would provide an opportunity for Padu

kone s fans to meet her in person. ATP Ramani, Business Head, Levi Strauss Signature, said, Our association with Dee pika is a perfect brand fit and we are delighted to partner with her. She signif ies style, good looks, youth, fun, and all other attributes that resonate with o ur brand values and positioning. Ramani informed that the company had already signed in Padukone way before the r elease of Om Shanti Om , and that a decision was taken to extend the association wi th her after her escalating fame post the release of the movie. JWT, which is the creative agency for Levi Strauss, has recently aired a commerc ial featuring Padukone as the protagonist. Mindshare is the media agency for the brand. Since the brand offers a range of casual outfits, its marketing strategy is to t arget the college students. Jeans and casual wears are products that are evolved from colleges, and keeping this in mind, out core strategy is to target young co llege goers, and anybody who wishes to have the youthful feel in life, explained Ramani. SUSHMITA According to officials at Levi Strauss (India), this new range of jeans is for t he women of today and Sen is the perfect Diva to represent them Levi Strauss & Co recently unveiled its new range of jeans especially for women. These jeans, called the Diva Jeans, will be endorsed by model-turned-actor Sush mita Sen. According to company officials, Sen is the perfect Diva to represent the Indian women of today. Levi s Diva Jeans celebrate the Indian woman as they have been designed keeping in mind her curvy body structure, and aim to complement he r curves. Shumone Chatterjee, country manager, Levi Strauss (India), remarks, Levi s Diva Jea ns are a result of extensive research to understand the perfect jeans fit for th e Indian female body type. The idea is to make the Indian woman look and feel like a diva ( goddess in Italian). Diva Jeans are an outcome of extensive research into measuring and understandin g the five key body types of Indian women. These are pencil straight , pear-shaped , ho urglass , bootylicious and voluptuous . The jeans have been designed to suit each of th ese. These jeans are priced between Rs 1599 and Rs 2999. An extensive campaign will also be rolled out, highlighting the launch of the ra nge. As per research done amongst Indian women, most of them connect well with a dvertising that glorifies their femininity and their confidence, rather than tha t which objectifies them. Diva therefore treats the Levi s woman as someone who is completely confident and su re about herself. A diva is someone in whom confidence and the softer aspects ar e able to co-exist harmoniously. According to Levi s officials, Sen was roped in as she is the perfect representati ve for this brand, having won the title of Miss Universe at the age of 18. Inciden tally, she was the first Indian woman to win this prestigious title. She also wa s a success in Bollywood. Besides, she shares the same personality traits as the brand values of the jeans brand: she is not afraid to create new rules, is extr emely independent and lives life on her own terms. The launch campaign has been conceptualised by JWT, Bangalore, and shot by Colst

on Julian. The shoot management has been done by Mahesh Kishen and Dheeraj Kapoo r of Limelight. The campaign consists of a series of regal shots with the diva S ushmita Sen in her pair of Levi s Diva Jeans, ready to rule all. The fact that the I ndian woman has started to lead the way across many fields, is what led to the t agline, Rule . The campaign showcases Sen draped nonchalantly over a couch and a throne. Closer inspection reveals that the couch is actually made of human forms, signifying h ow the Diva woman rules the world. P CHOP We all know that life in Bollywood is one roller coaster ride. The fate of every actor changes with every passing Friday. The same is the case with Priyanka Cho pra, who, after having a shaky start, has now become the eternal reigning Queen of Bollywood. With Fashion and Dostana as the latest additions in her kitty, Piggy Chops has n ever had it so good (read best ). She, in no time, became the Face of a million produ cts...practically every second FMCG product! According to our confirmed sources, the latest addition in her kitty is the international denim brand Levis, which has allegedly signed Priyanka for an astronomical amount! If that wasn t enough, o ur sources also added that the company has even roped in the ace fashion designe r Tarun Tahiliani, who will be on board for a special edition of the denims call ed Diva . One must admit that, the real cool thing about this endorsement deal is that, af ter having signed up with Akshay Kumar, Shahid Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut and Deepika Padukone, the story only gets more masaledaar with Priyanka Chopra coming on bo ard! BIPS The girl from Gariahat is sure going places. After the stunning cameo in Jay Sea n?s video, Bipasha has now endorsed the new Levis Slim Jeans collection. In the process, she has joined the likes of James Dean, Madonna and Shah Rukh Khan who have previously endorsed Levis. As evident in the picture below, the new Levis S lim Jeans collection has been designed to compliment her curves, making her legs look longer and her hips slimmer. Speaking at the tie-up, Shuman Chatterjee, managing director, Levis Strauss, Ind ia, said: ?Bipasha epitomises the essence of Slim Jeans as devised by the Levis design team.?