Author Description

The memoirs of a 1960's AD Man who was the architect of Levi's growth from Cowboy Gear to Worldwide Youth Icon during Levi's halcyon years from 1964 to 1974. In 1964 the author joined Levi Strauss & Company in San Francisco as Director of Advertising and later rose to General Manager of Levi's Europe, President of Levi Straus International, and Corporate Head of Marketing in 10 years. He, and Ed Combs, the friend who recruited him, were the first outside marketing executives at the family firm, which after 100 years had finally reached $50 million in sales largely West of the Rockies as a major rodeo sponsor. Switching horses in 1965, Levi's seized the reins of the budding youth rebellion and rode this wild stallion to become the largest apparel company in the world with sales peaking at $9 billion in the mid eighties. Today after, several major upheavals, the company is struggling to recover the magic of the past, as sales have slid precipitously to $4 billion. The author adds outsiders' views about the causes of this reversal of fortune, and offers his opinions also.