THE DENIM ISN’T A KNOCKOFF, BUT THE CAMPAIGN IS

Remember the aughts? Those days when khaki, song and b-list celebrities were synonymous with Gap? Well, in 2010, it’s all about denim. And every ad I’ve seen—print to in-store to online—looks like this, which looks an awful lot like another brand’s ads. I’m not sure why either. Gap’s brand isn’t one that’s broken, so I’m not sure why the creative team tried to “fix” it. In this case, I think it needs to be evolution over revolution.

Here’s what I would’ve done:

1) Solved the identity crisis. When I first saw this ad, I seriously thought it was for American Apparel. Same bold font, same white background, same minimalist vibe. All that’s missing are people and the American Apparel logo. Maybe it’s a calculated move, but to me imitation isn’t the sincerest form of flattery. Especially for a retailer who historically has had such a clearly defined (and whimsical) brand. So I would’ve thought of a more unique way to position Gap and its denim. For some reason, when I think of Gap, I think of color. So I probably would’ve injected some of that, along with Gap’s trademark whimsy. But I wouldn’t have stopped there.

2) Trash the catalog look. In all honestly, the only time you should ever see laydowns is in a catalog. Even worse is cropping the product so you can’t see the detail. Frankly, I shouldn’t have to turn the ad sideways to see the product. And this whole “from $54.50” thing is very Old Navy to me. People looking to spend $50+ on a single item of clothing aren’t especially price conscious. Sure, Gap’s denim is cheaper than designer denim, but that’s it. It’s all very catalog-y and that’s not the way to go for a multi-channel marketing campaign. Speaking of which, seeing as I’ve seen this exact ad in several different mediums, I would’ve come up with different designs and messaging for a true campaign. What’s being shown and said here isn’t strong enough to be repeated over and over and over. 

3) Found the perfect fit. This is where Gap has missed an opportunity: getting a leg up on premium denim brands. Sure, they’re never going to outspend Levi’s, but they can out advertise True Religion, 7 For All Mankind, etc. In addition to adding some Gap fun to the ads, I would really play this up. Then the aforementioned value message would actually make sense, except I’d take the “designer denim for less” direction vs. specific pricing. But what really makes sense is playing off the perfect fit promise that’s tossed off here. If the denim fits perfectly, why not show it on someone? And not just everyone, but people with different body types. This is an opportunity to bring in the B- and C-listers Gap is known for. Surely there’s a Kardashian free somewhere. Then the campaign would actually look like it’s from Gap—and not some Gap wannabe.