Introduction of the Red Tab on Levi's Jeans
Poet involved
What happened
In 1936, Levi Strauss & Co. added a small Red Tab to the right back pocket of its 501 jeans to differentiate its product from competitors. The tab, which has become one of the most recognizable brand symbols in the world, was a simple but effective marketing innovation. This small piece of red fabric helped build the Levi's brand identity and cemented the company's leading position in the denim market.
Literary impact
The Red Tab's emergence as a symbol of authenticity and quality resonates with the literary search for the genuine and the real. Poets like William Carlos Williams, who championed the 'local' and the 'particular,' would have appreciated this small but significant marker of identity. The tab has been referenced in contemporary poetry as a symbol of branding and the commodification of culture, a theme explored by poets such as Frank O'Hara.
Source: Levi Strauss & Co.
