At what point does the term “missed connection” abandon it’s craigslist roots and run a-muck with an evolving definition of its own? Over the past year I have heard the term increasingly used outside of a craigslist context, and so I ask you: What would you define a missed connection?

Take the recent Levi’s commercial:

(As a side note, Levi’s ran two seperate ads, one with a man and one with a women in the phone booth. You can see the other one here.)

I have spent the last few months fascinated with this ad, but haven’t been able to put my finger on why.My mind would always go spinning off into merging of private and public spaces. Thinking all of this aloud yesterday, Steve looked at me and said, “It’s a missed connection.”

Frustrating as that casual remark might have been, he’s right. Confused? Go watch the commercial again.

If a “missed connection” were to define itself without using the word “craigslist”, it might encompass the attempt to rekindle a potential connection that didn’t quite ignite. Simple enough. So what’s with the jeans?

craigslist missed connection are popular for a reason; they capitalize on the hopes of reconnecting and the possibilities of the future. Levi’s seems to effectively be commodifying that hope via their clothing.