What GAP Should Have Done

Google search volume for "GAP" and "Gap Logo" has more than tripled in the last week, reaching the highest number of searches for "GAP" in the last five years.  This is exactly the level attention the brand needs to get back in the retail game; however, the biggest mistake of GAP's rebranding is not the new logo (which has since been taken down) but the mistake of driving visitors to a cluttered e-commercy GAP.com website.

When all eyeballs are on your brand, you better have something impressive to show them.  And, when the millions of unique visitors typed Gap.com into their browser to check whether the new logo rumors were true, I am sure once visitors landed on the page and saw the new logo (maybe even cringed for a second) they instantly left the site.  Average time spent on page = 10 seconds, jeans sold = 0. 

This was GAP's chance to change perceptions about the aging brand and instead, they sadly confirmed that GAP has lost some its glimer and is just another sales-focused American blue jeans brand through multiple offers and % signs cluttering the site (there must be some aesthetic rule to how many 25%, 20%, 30% offers you can have on a page... five is a bit much don't you think?).  The site leaves little room for the consumer to admire the product.

Some people may ask, "how could GAP have created a new consumer site quick enough to respond to the increased interest?"  Well, my answer is GAP could have looked at all its online assets--pages within GAP.com, Facebook page, etc.--and chose a page that accurately reflected the direction the brand wanted to go in, such as the Explore Gap 1969 page, which surprisingly is very forward-thinking, aggregating content about denim from across the web into an engaging grid-like map.

This page is exactly what GAP needs to focus on--bringing back the notion that GAP is about quality jeans not just sales.  The GAP rebranding conversation could potentially continue past this week if visitors were driven to this page.  Plus, if the new logo was on this page, you may even be distracted away from its ugliness because there is just so much pretty content to explore (no, please stick to the old logo).

I am interested in seeing where the GAP branding team will go with this.  I was once a fan of GAP in high school and sort of been unimpressed since.  I'm definitely rooting for a big comeback in Q4--some strong holiday TV, interactive out of home in major cities, possibly using the old logo as a focal point of the creative (since by now you should know that people are emotionally attached to it).

Graph below shows how search volume for GAP has skyrocketed the past week:

Laird + Partners, if you need some help, don't hesitate to reach out :)

@GapLogo and Crap Logo Yourself is the Best Part About Gap's New Logo

Stunt.  Joke.  Poor Taste.  You can call it whatever you want but that ugly Gap Logo is still sitting on the upper left corner of Gap.com and it's driving everyone insane that the twittersphere and Google has been buzzing about it all day--and I am sure GAP is happy about it.  You can't say that Smirnoff is unhappy that Bros Icing Bros helped skyrocket sales and empty shelves of Smirnoff Ice, well, GAP has nothing to be upset about that people are finally caring and talking about a brand that was slowly and quietly dying.

In one of my past posts "What Does Gap Need to Do to Be Cool Again?", I mentioned that GAP needed to start thinking outside of the box... they may have taken that advice too literally and changed their logo.  Could Gap's new logo be the new Old Spice man?  Is controversial rebranding the new viral marketing?   I don't have any answers but I do know that @GapLogo is effin hilarious and is bringing some good energy to the sad new logo.

Also, another bonus is now we can all create really ugly logos with Crap Logo Yourself.

And it poops this out:

OMG my eyes.

What Does GAP Need To Be Cool Again?

Sponsoring a major fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum seems like a good start.  This Monday, A-list celebrities and models attended the annual Met Costume Gala in extravagant (not so crazy this year) ensembles, many of which were designed for GAP by big name designers Alexander Wang, Thakoon, Sophie Theallet and Rodarte.

Photos from Gap.com and NYMag.com

Starting today (Happy Cinco De Mayo!), you can bid on the gowns which Jessica Alba, Vera Famiga, Kirsten Dunst and M.I.A wore and proceeds will benefit the MET Costume Institute.  There will also be a pop-up store on 54th and 5th Ave.  With the exception of Riley Keough's cream candle wax-like gown, the GAP gowns don't scream a comeback for the retailer but remind us that GAP is still struggling to regain retail dominance.

Big name designers, museum sponsorships--this is all starting to sound a bit TARGET-y.  The MET Gala is a prestigious event but does not have the mass reach the brand needs (unless they are only looking to target NYC Upper East Siders).  I know GAP has had guest designers before and continues to do so, but Target owns guest designer collections by its heavy marketing and hype of it.  What made GAP, GAP, is blue jeans and a white shirt.  Even that GAP identity is lost in their recent bold Helvetica font American Apparel-esque ads.

The GAP we love so dearly represented true American fashion--comfortable, classic and stylish clothes.  Whether its finding a designer that can create clothes we want (J. Crew!) or rethinking its marketing strategy, GAP needs to stay true to its roots (those great music-inspired ads with Missy Elliot) and maybe think more outside of the box.