Well, that was a cool video and everything, but I seem to have more of a desire to buy a Honda Fit after viewing this page. Something tells me that probably wasn't the intended effect...

When Levi's ads show up all over Gawker tomorrow, to whom can I say "I told you so"?

Blue shirt dude totally racked himself jumping over the fence.

Oh and Nick? I think you watch too much internet.

You missed one angle that's at least to me obvious. In both of them the group of "friends" is overly forced. Even if I wasn't watching these videos in the context of "beware this stealth ad" I would have wondered if all the people in the films were missing a brain lobe. Everyone is a little overly, "hey yeah cool brahh." And they're all so clean and crisp in the Levi's ad. It reminds me of the time I was at the train station and I saw all these heavy guys standing around in completely new street jeans and shirts and chains, and I just looked at them and I thought they were cops. Moments later they tackled a dirty hippy with a backpack.

How many times do you think they tried the last one before it worked? The outtakes could have potential for greatness.

I would love to see this done with skinny jeans. Hipsters: a gauntlet has been thrown!

Jeans big enough to jump into, and other things that Brooklyn would suck at.

@Zorica: Dammit. Beat me by seconds.

@Ben Popken: Did they mess up your backpack?

@Conbon: Did they mess up your sexual reassignment?

@Ben Popken: I watched it on mute (somebody has to have quiet so they can watch their beloved teevees, which are reruns!) but even so I definitely picked up on that aspect. It was uncomfortably "chummy." Very obviously people trying to project an idea. But as my coach/mentor/guru is fond of telling me, if you're trying to be something, then by definition you aren't being it. There was lots and lots of trying, especially in the faces.

Once again, the secret viral ad has masterfully put together the perfect marketing campaign that A) raises no awareness of the brand B) generates no perceived benefit of an indistinguishable product or C) compels me to want to buy the product.

Actually, scratch that last one... I totally want to buy an agile black friend. It would be soooo White Men Can't Jump.

@Ben Popken: I don't think tackling hippies is indicative of anything...

@Ben Popken: Assuming they did, does Consumerist cover medical malpractice?

@Conbon: I can't believe for once I was the quick one! Great minds etc, and for how often that happens to me there are at least a few great minds on this site who are about 15 minutes ahead of my schedule at all times.

Don't worry, this was a happy accident for me. I type fast enough, but I think really slow. L'esprit d'escalier is going to be the name of my autobiography, which I will be writing when I croak just after thinking of a better title but not in time to write it down.

@Hiphopopotamus: I don't think you're allowed to say "I totally want to buy an agile black friend."

@Conbon: I agree... Levi's promotes racism.

@Hiphopopotamus: And zipperism apparently.

@Zorica: You should just call it "Arrrgh" and tell everyone that you were dictating.

@Conbon: That's it! You've just prompted me to discover that my true calling is to become a dictator. I'm going to start practicing fracturing the military and sentencing dissenters to death first thing in the morning.

What piqued my interest is if they really completed all of those stunts or if slick editing was involved. I find it hard to believe, even though it was shown, that the glasses landed perfectly on the guy's face when he drove by in a car.

Either way, it's interesting and a good viral video, but it would be even cooler if all it was legit.

@Conbon: We do, but there's a $20 copay.

The sunglasses video is totally fake. I'd be willing to bet that they didn't actually jump into those jeans as well, but who knows, maybe I'm wrong. Here's a video that explains how they "catch" the sunglasses with their face. The guy is a little odd, but he does a good job:

+ Watch video

too much junk-touchin' in the jeans ad.

The special effects have come a long way at least. I didn't buy that he was catching the sunglasses for a second. The jeans and the beer are much better done, though I believe the jeans could be real with a skilled acrobat.

Oh Levi's, I guess the rest of us will have to put our pants on one leg at a time.

The creative team behind the Ray Ban videos was Cutwater, and agency in San Francisco. The Feed Company is just a viral placement company, not the creators. I am sure Cutwater is also behind the Levi's stuff.

As long as they're not trying to fool people into thinking these are amateur videos, who cares? Better that than the garbage ads you see on TV.

@LotharOfTheHillPeople: I wasn't aware there was such a thing as "too much junk touching". I'll make a note of it.

@JmoneyGangsta: Thanks for posting that video. The last 5 seconds of it are great, really caught me by surprise. :D

Yeah, the cinematography is still very professional, almost forced into seeming 'real' as opposed to scripted, the music is too perfect, the lighting is decent.

Also, while I enjoyed them, I have to add:

"Did you ever notice how white guys get into pants like this? And black guys, they get into pants like this!"

@JmoneyGangsta:

is that the guy who plays Ben on Lost?

@Don Is:

I thought DraftFCB was Levi's agency.

Am I the only one who sees this as a good thing? Why aren't more companies creating CONTENT rather then spamming me with crappy ads with 'celebrities' I've never heard of hocking crap that is over priced (because they're paying celebs?). Mean while people are already complaining that they can't tell on some ads what they are selling. (Have you ever seen and ad and had no clue what was being sold? )

@aikoto: Opps, you did already make the same general statement.

12,680 views! Holy shit Douglas, way to rack up the page views! *caaa-ching!

It wasn't just the "no zipper" comment that proved they were Levi's...you can clearly see the Levi's label in two to three places in the video. Of course, you have to be looking for it, as they're quick shots.

@BGGA: Just imagine the views if I pretended I was a ragtag team of acrobats!

After watching it twice.... I think that the Ray Ban ad has some of the scenes shot in reverse. (all the throwing scenes. That would make pulling the glasses off his face relatively easy.

@nyoung79: Yeah, I didn't go into it but watch the video posted by @JmoneyGangsta.