Style Points

Because of the incredible success and buzz created by this promotion for Levi Strauss’s Slates slacks, Chris and Matt were deluged by interview requests. To escape the clamor, they decided to take vacations in Sao Paolo and Amsterdam, respectively. Since someone had to write about this campaign, we enlisted the help of an actual Slates consumer and asked him to tell of his experience with the brand.

I’ll start by admitting that I don’t know what I’m doing. It gets me into trouble with the wife every now and then. She thinks I should look a little nicer when we go out to eat or when her parents show up at Christmas. But if the opportunity to slide by with khakis presents itself, you’d better believe that’s what I’m wearing.

Then one day I’m wandering through Macy’s, looking for socks, when I come across Slates dress pants. They’re nice. I notice some posters and signage around that mention something about a free dinner, so I ask the sales clerk.

I discover that if I merely try on a pair of Slates, I get this cool book called “First Course.” It’s full of all sorts of tips about things I should know but don’t, like a list of things every guy should have, how to order wine, and ideas on what to wear for different occasions. In the second half of the book are Zagat restaurant reviews for major cities. There’s also a sweepstakes to win dinner in the city of my choice. All in all, not a bad deal just for trying on the pants.

So I try on a pair of Slates and they’re great. They feel nice, look good, and I’m sure my wife will be happy that I’ve got another option besides khakis or a suit. So I buy them. That’s when I find out that I get a dining certificate good for any restaurant reviewed in “First Course,” and when I order dinner, my wife’s dinner is free. Can’t beat that.

I guess I’ve got it all. A book with tips on how to dress and what to remember when I’m out on the town. A list of great places to go. A free meal when we get there. And of course, something to wear that looks great.