Dive Brief:
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Kenny Mitchell, who has been chief marketing officer at Snapchat parent Snap Inc. for nearly four years, will take that role at Levi’s on June 5. Mitchell, whose experience also includes stints at Gatorade and McDonald’s, will report to Levi’s President Michelle Gass.
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He will be responsible for advancing brand marketing strategies, “focused on building denim leadership equity, cementing its position as a true lifestyle brand and growing market share,” Levi’s said in a press release.
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Karen Riley-Grant, a Levi’s veteran who has been chief marketing officer for the last two years, left in March, according to her LinkedIn page.
Dive Insight:
Gass is slated to take the CEO spot in about a year, and appears to be building her team already.
“With Kenny onboard, I have full confidence in our ability to continue earning our place at the center of culture and building our global community of Levi’s fans,” she said in a statement.
The denim brand is celebrating milestone anniversaries this year, the 170th since its founding and the 150th of its iconic 501 jeans. The company has leveraged its longevity and place in American culture in its marketing campaigns for decades. Inclusivity has been a key message almost from the beginning — the two-horse image on its signature leather patches was designed in the Wild West era to communicate to people of all languages, including those who couldn’t read or write.
In a statement, Mitchell hailed Levi Strauss & Co. as “a values-led company.”
“I have long admired the enduring global relevance of Levi’s as both a quintessential apparel brand and cultural icon,” he said. “It is an honor to be part of shaping the future of the greatest story ever worn.”
