Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass was out for a run in San Francisco last March when she first heard the song " Levii's Jeans " from Beyonce's latest album, " Cowboy Carter ."

"Literally, I got chills," Gass recounted to CNBC, adding the name check represented a "once in a lifetime" marketing opportunity she couldn't afford to squander. "She is one of the most celebrated and influential artists of our time ... We asked the question, 'Could there be something more?'"

Six months later, Levi announced Beyonce would star in a new global marketing campaign . Then, a pattern that's repeated itself since Levi invented blue jeans more than 150 years ago happened again: competitors raced to catch up.

Gap and American Eagle launched their own star-studded campaigns

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