As American as Planning and Blue Jeans

I may be a bit behind in finding this, but I just came across the Levi’s Go Forth Braddock campaign on Chris Brogan’s Blog.  The one question that seems to be on everyone’s mind is “Is this a true investment in community planning and revitalization or simply a well planned publicity campaign?”  One claim on the Levi’s Go Forth Braddock Facebook Page (Not a Town or Levi’s site) states “There is no public input.”  The official press release from Levi’s issued on June 24, 2010 states “Today, Levi’s® is investing in the American revolution that is taking shape in Braddock.  Levi’s® and Braddock are intertwined by an unshakable mantra for progress: Real People + Real Work = Real Change.”

There seems to be no question that the overall effort to revitalize Braddock is spearheaded by a true leader who is passionate about revitalizing Braddock, Mayor John Fetterman.  Regardless of what your opinion is, I would think that we could all agree that Braddock is a town, like many across this Country that has fallen on very tough times, but yet we can all see the promise in it and realize that it can reinvent itself. 

Social media is just starting to play a role in this campaign with You Tube videos from Levi’s an independent Facebook Page and various blog posts debating the project.  This is an interesting example of how social media can take a local project and propel it into the national spotlight and national dialogue.  Could revitalization efforts of this type benefit from additional social media strategies/efforts? 

So what are your thoughts? 

We look forward to discussing this further in the upcoming weeks.