Levi's has withdrawn an advertising campaign that features a young man squaring up to riot police after a public outcry that it glorified the recent public disorder across the country.

The advert, which Levi's launched on Facebook on Tuesday night, was due to be aired on television and in cinemas.

The "Levi's Legacy" advert shows a young man squaring up to a line of riot police officers as the voiceover says "you're marvellous". The 60-second film ends with the words "Go Forth".

A spokesman for Levi Strauss said the company had "temporarily postponed" the advertising campaign, but it will still run in other countries.

"We are deeply disheartened about the unprecedented events taking place in the UK at the moment and which have impacted communities across the country," he said. "While 'Go Forth' is about embodying the energy and events of our time, it is not about any specific movement or political theme; rather, it's about optimism, positive action and a pioneering spirit. Out of sensitivity for what is happening in the UK, we have temporarily postponed our cinema and Facebook spots in the country."

However, the advert is still available on YouTube and from Levi's official website.

At the launch of the campaign, which is Levi's first global advertising campaign, chief marketing officer Rebecca Van Dyck said: "Now, more than ever, the world needs inspiration. The world needs people with a pioneering spirit who still believe that anything is possible. Our 60-second 'Go Forth' film and digital engagement programme recognise people around the globe who are stepping forward to transform the world."

The spokesman said the video was intended to capture "youthful optimism" and ambitions of a better future, rather than encourage unrest. "We think that spirit was encapsulated in the groups that came together in Clapham, Hackney and elsewhere to rebuild their communities," he said.

The riot scenes are said to represent the May Day riots in Berlin. The voiceover is a reading of Charles Bukowski's poem The Laughing Heart, which features the lines "Your life is your life, don't let it be clubbed into dank submission, be on the watch, there are ways out, there is a light somewhere." The voiceover concludes with the line "you are marvellous, the gods wait to delight in you".

Mark Borkowski, a PR and branding expert, said: "Talk about bad timing. This illustrates what brands have been doing associating themselves with gangster-type behaviour. It shows how far Levi's has come from the ad showing teen idol Nick Kamen in his underwear in a laundrette."