Wondering it's: nine hundred and fifty one and in Levi's San Francisco headquarters sales chief, Le Gloria unfolds a road. of LOS Angeles and spreads at across a meeting room table Levi marketing chief Wily Hoss moves next to luxuriate, look houses fourth generation descendant of Levi Strauss and next year, to run the business he adjusts, his big wide glasses and surveys the map, Bulgaria, his scribbled cryptic symbols all over it. There are large black square fears and dozens of small axes and Stearns to Bulgaria. What are all these x's and O's acts as a mom and pop store that stocks Levi's the ozone mom and pop don't stock Levi's. Ok,

and the large black squares there. The department stores houses, eyes widen. There are more to and stores in allay than he thought and that's not good Levi's. This isn't a road map. It's a battlefield, Automobiles, a reshaping, postwar America high these are snaking out of cities and sprouting suburbs as they go, and the department stores are growing with them. Change like seers and J C penny are opening suburban outlets that are draining customers from the mom and pop stores. That Levi's depends on. The department stores won't stock Levi's unless they get a bigger discount than the mom and pop ups, and when Levi's refuse to lower its prices. Department stores not Levi's out now Levi's his hunting for away into the new retail temples that won't require a profit sacrifice, Hoss

turns to Lagori. So what's your plan, you know how and medieval Europe armies lay siege to castles until they surrendered Yale where do the same to the department stores? Look here lagoon, attacks on one of the department stores marked on his map on Streets around it, or at least a dozen mom and pops customers are loyal right. So if get fibre ones into all, these mom in part will draw customers away from the department stores, asleep smile creeps under hostage face and when the debate stores, see they're, losing customers, They'll want to stock stalkers, even without a discount, exactly. The retail giants begin to notice their missing out on California's many Levi's, Loyalists Custer start asking why they can't find any fibre ones on the racks when every other store has them soon.

The big stores are forced to open their doors to the brand. But it's not a total victory And stores shoved their stock of Levi's genes into remote basement corners after all, Levi's is just one brand of Denham pants and there are bigger profits to be by pushing rival brands that offer the retailers bigger discount, but that, when stores won't be able to treat genes as generic work, where for much longer, we all Love the excitement of a well played match Amazon versus Walmart Starbucks versus Duncan. We covered so many great ones right here on our show, but there are some people that shouldn't be opponents like. People on your own deem well Monday. Dot com brings teams gather on one shared, easy to use: flexible and visual teamwork platform, Monday dot com.

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is business wars. On the last episode, metal rivets made Levi Strauss in company the pioneer of the modern gene. Meanwhile, Lee used zips and pre Shrunk Denham to crown itself the work where king now, a renegade generation is about to bust Denham out of the workplace and take it into the streets. This is episode. Three storming the castle its march,

fifty one just before eight a M near Detroit Michigan, a yell school bus stops outside Bloomfield Hills, Highschool, smartly, kids pylon clutching bags and boys girls in knitted cardigans blouses in length skirts boys ins. Words: jackets, white, shirts and slacks, but on the back seated, the bus for boys aren't moving they glow. Out of the windows nervously, their hearts race with a mix of excitement and fear. The bus driver spots, diminish rearview, mirror you he's going to school or why, before teenagers go a boy slick back brown hair turns to one of his buddies. She can out one for all offer. One right right is and nod sheepishly, the forest, off the bus and make for the school gates. They walked. Side by side, hands shoved

the hip pockets of their role, cuff legions at the Gates school double Richard space, glares at the boys and folded his arms Two days ago, Bloomfield Hills High School ban boys from wearing jeans. It banned from dressing in Denham back in thirty, five were space, blue jeans, start of a slippery slope to ruin prisoners. Where genes so do hoodlum, biker gangs, people who won't amount to anything. The boys toward the gates. Fifty yards to go forty yards thirty yards, but species withering gaze melts their courage. Their swagger fades into hesitant steps. Twenty yards fifteen yards one of the rebels stopped the boy with like back hair, looks over his shoulder. Don't be chip

come on the boy shakes his head and we, one backing out the group's resolve collapses. The four scuttle away from the scene, heading home to change into slacks speech, pops out his chest as they, walk away, he's talking, This one up is another blow against the forces of vulgarity, but the is when blue Jean rebels cower before the stern gaze of authority are coming to an end. Soon, Defiant teenagers across America will be pulling on blue jeans, and when that happens, Jean make there's we'll get a sales windfall little put them right in establishments crosshairs March, fifty and in an art, deco Movie Theater in Fort Worth Texas. The Usher guides well to their seats

They are here to watch a movie so outrageous. It's already been banned in Memphis Alberta and Great Britain. It's called the Wildwood and critics are calling it revolting so distant and a spectacle of hooliganism. The lights down on screen, the audience sees a black and white image of a long, deserted road stretching into the horizon from the far distance, a bunch of black specks zoom toward the camera, a gang of affected. Sneering youths riding triumph motorcycles, they're coming to terrorize, small town, America and they're all wearing leather jackets and Levi's. Jean I try to hit you in such a big. Hurry, won't be anything sure, none of these online I don't want to do anything that file things up for everybody else, and what kind of outfits say that again outlaw outfits like yours,

but the moviegoers don't need to be told that these guys are trouble. They already know from the jackets and role of genes alone that Marlon, and oh and his black rebel motorcycle club. bad news. Until now, genes have been the low class clothes of day labourers, prisoners, sharecroppers and roughneck bikers, but this of Brando tough, yet vulnerable hoodlum smouldering in his Snug Levi's try forms the image of Denham forever and owes more than a renegade outlaw and girls. Can't resist rebels and outlaws soon teenage boys, desperate for the Brando cool factor, buying blue jeans and the wild ones, just the start A few months later, the hit song rock around the clock from girl Hayley in his comments, fires I can roll into the mainstream a russian.

I'm glad rockers follow close behind a year later. James Dean give Datum another leg up when he wears a pair of leaves in the movie rebel without a cause, and it's not the boys either Hollywood. Yes, STAR Marilyn Monroe teaches girls to Denham when she sports Levi's in the flicks clash of the night and rip of no return as teenagers rush to buy the new uniform of rebellion sale leave eyes and wrangler strike with demand. Saurus Levi's finally goes: national Recruits sales teams in the Midwest and the east and opens factories in the southern states. The dominant the? U S, textile trade eyes: California ideals soon, Asked it into a game of chicken with the gym RO, South. It's the nineteen fifties and in the Levi's factory in Blackstone, Virginia

but he's national production she Paul Glasgow is me the town elders. He scanned the faces of the white politicians, businessmen and ministers he's invited in for a chat. He now They won't like what he's about to say. He briefly holds with a pencil in his hand, get down to business and level with you. This factory isn't working for us, the town, leaders look alarmed buys is one of black stones biggest employers we don't want to shut it, but staff turn where's too high. We need reliable workers. Thing is There are lots of reliable workers in Blackstone who want to work here, but their applications are being ignored when it Councilman narrows his eyes. You mean black people, yes So we decided we're integrating the factory. Whoa there

I don't know what is lacking California, but that is not how things are done here. Blackstone Glasgow, Jim. Places his pencil on the desk that case we shut and the plant and going somewhere else and glanced at each other mouths. Agape a local businessman respond now come on now. There's no need to be so drastic. I'm sure We can reach an accommodation, one to build a wall down the middle of the factory, to keep the two races apart. I think that were just dandy. So locks eyes with a man no k I get it. Building walls and expensive undertakings draw a line on the floor. Instead, no the council man leaned forward now. Listen here Remain you half way, but our patience does have its limits. Glasgow sits back in his chair,

The answer is no no walls and no lines. And confer among themselves for a moment, then the businessman responds ok, no land, but actually they'll, be separate drinking fountains and restrooms. Otherwise, you gonna have a remote from your current workforce, a hope. You know that Moscow rises from his seat full integration were no plant. Levi's gets its way and after integrating the Blackstone plant Levi's issues. Besides, thread elsewhere in the south, just like Blackstone, most cities cave for the rest. Levi's makes good on its threat to leave town. But why Levi's battles Jim Crow? Its products are coming under fire, the rush of suburban teens adopting the get up of unwholesome movie rebels

working a national backlash. Schools ban Denham horrified. Parents forbid their children from wearing jeans and while Levi's Lee and Wrangler love the sales boost they that Denim's rebel allure will alien their traditional customer base of cowboys and labourers, but then to authority. Figures, aren't the only ones spreading about the new fashion for denim of slacks are also worried as genes eat into their sales, so as denim pan, take off the slag makers on the offensive with a campaign to teach young people how to dress fifty seven and in upstate New York, the let's dress, right fashion, show is underway at at another high school. The models are plug out of a teenage audience. This showcase a good taste

is the latest ploy of the American Institute of Men's and boys. Where a coalition of slacks manufacturers and they're out save America from Rebel Cheek a sixteen year old boy with neatly party here. What's on state he's wearing a red corduroy shirt tucked into gray, dress pants the host nods approvingly, what an impressive young man with those crisply on slacks. I can tell you he's a boy who sure to impress his sweethearts parents, the boy heads backstage the after the same boy returned, but this time he's wearing a white t. Hobnailed blue Jeans makes is here and he looked sloppy now from a tree to have little gentleman to hoodlum injustice, change of clothes you see the way you look changes. How people see you Michael friends, say you can spot a troublemaker just by the way he dresses

It sounds unfair, but it's a fact so remember, dress right. You can't afford not to ask backlash. Grows sales of genes fall, not even L Presley strutting around in black denim pants for jailhouse rock can halt the slide, but stains of rebellion won't wash out as the first children The postwar baby boom come of age. At the tail end of the fifties say, of genes revive after a try. Goods been watching Denham, clad movie stars and rock and rollers these two agers, know exactly what they want to wear and an ain't dress, pants After years as producers of utilitarian work, where the nations Jean makers are being done, act into an unfamiliar new business fashion. And they better adapt fast if they dont want to fade away.

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there's no minimum deposit required get started for free at alo dot com, Bw spelled a z, l, o dot com, a b w When you talk to Adele Technologies adviser their focused on you, ready to give advice on. We think from laptops to the cloud and offer tailored solutions powered by the until be pro platform to keep your small business ready for. What's next college. Technologies adviser today, at eight seven, seven ask dal. That's eight seven, seven ask dough. Its idea, sixty and in his corner office in San Francisco Levi's President Wally Hoss feels his stomach. Not the very

thought of the decision in front of him makes him queasy He straightens his big, wide glasses and looks at the sales executive sitting opposite. I I don't know, it's still feels a dangerous. The sales executive raises an eyebrow, seriously, what's gonna, while I we ve, sat on this for two years, we ve done store tests sounded out retailers and more What can I do to convince you to approve the five o? Five five o five is the first new line of man's genes. Levi's is launched since eighteen. Seventy two: it's supposed to overcome resistance on the EAST coast, but right now it can even get past the internal pushed back Levi, might have sold a hundred and seventy five million fibre once so far at EAST Coast, retailers and consumers keep snubbing them. The recent simple but ones are shrinking FED,

easterners recoil at the idea of buying jeans, two sizes too too large, and then linking them through washing after all, these been selling ready to wear genes made from Pre Shrunk Denham for thirty years now, if LEO it figured out. Why not leave eyes? but within the halls of Levi's headquarters, any departure from the fibre one verges on blasphemy, looks at the sales executive. What, if five o five breaks, the spell vast spell? I mean well, Is it possible that the very act of shrinking viable ones is what make people so loyal to our genes. The five hundred and five could break that bond. The sales executive, size, wildly, listen to me: people out EAST want pre Shrunk, Denham pants, the fight

five gives them what they want. All we are doing is pre shrinking the Denham, the fight, Oh five will still fade tear and where, just like a five or one house takes a deep breath, he's the past decade modernizing Levi's. He shut down wholesale operation and expanded into making slacks he even end the companies, insistence on calling genes waste overalls, this is just one more step. He nods. Yeah you're right, we need to garments, people want aware the five o five final. Persuades EAST coast, retailers to stock Levi's and with the fear of change Finally overcome Levi becomes more willing to release new styles of genes.

So when Lee strikes gold with its slim fitting ten colored Lee Westerner genes, Levi's perhaps on the bandwagon with its own sand, huge genes that customers dub White Levi's, while Levi's chases trends wrangler is about to start one. It's nineteen sixty four and in Manhattan, three wrangler executives in suits and ties or in the dance duty of killer Joe Piero hero, Into the room he's a small dark, haired stringy man who moves like he's, got ants in his wrangler pants morning. Gentlemen, ready to witness the newest dance in the land, the wrangler Eggs natives grand and not ever since chubby, checker, taught the world the twist. The teenagers on bananas for nobly dances. They ve done Locomotion. The monkey in the mashed potato rang asked Piero to devise a dance that'll help the brand tap into the craze,

sell more genes, is the man who invented the monkey puros more than qualified Hiroshima peace to the middle of a dance floor and strikes oppose music. Please heroes assistant drops the needle on the record and the wrangler shake begins Pero, presses his hands together and starts to swing them in his hips in a figure. Eight pattern then still gyrating. He flings is right arm above his head and rotates is raised hand. Is it spinning an imaginary lasso after catching an invisible pony. He repeatedly slaps his wiggling hips before jumping right to face the wrangler executives. Now we do it again, With all of you joining in smiles on the wrangler executives faces vanish as Piro moves to round them up,

come on boys no proves allowed here soon. The wrangler team or awkwardly swinging. Pretend lasses. As bureau, shakes his head at their out of time steps. But wranglers shake is no mashed potato candy. Cowboy jeans brand fails to ignite another dance craze not that wrangler wranglers going to stop pursuing the young consumer. It can't afford not to, and neither can Lee and leave eyes, but is when Jean makers look to minors, cow hands and lumberjacks for profits are over now there looking squarely at the baby boomers generation, who are already spending three point: five billion dollars a year on denim, but if they're going reap the financial windfall from genes new status as the uniform of youth. The big three, Jean makers will to learn to stay ahead of the trends and that's

to prove way harder than any of them expect on the next episode. Levi's goes psychedelic rang gets a lift from John Travolta Calvin Klein Shocks, America from wondering This is episode three of dental wars for business wars. If you like us, Oh, please, give us a five star rating in a review and be sure to tell your friends subscribe, Apple podcast Spotify, the Wondery APP or wherever you're listening right now and check out episodes one week, early joint, wondering plus You will also find some links and offers more sponsors and the episode notes supporting them helps a steep offering our shows for free there's, another you can support the show. Philip small survey over at Wondery COM Survey survey and tell us which business stories you like to hear quick note: bout recreations you ve been hearing. In most cases we can't know exactly what was said. Those scenes are dramatization, but they are based

historical research. Now, Like to learn more about how genes became fashionable, we recommend genes, a culture of history, of an american icon by James Sullivan. David Brown, trysting Donovan wrote this story. Karen low is our senior producer and editor edited and produced by Emily Frost, sound designed by Kyle, Randall, young is our associate producer. Our executive producers are Jenny, Lower Beckman and Marshall Louis created by or Non Lopez for, wondering tough work out ahead long day, the office, looking for an easy and reliable way to get a healthy dose of energy to keep your focused on the task at hand, while better energy is changing the way people fuel their bodies without unhealthy energy drinks, are countless cups of coffee, packed with C b d. Athene vitamins and vital nutrients like amino acids, better energy,

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