[ad_1]
In late 2023, newly appointed Gap CEO Richard Dickson said it was time to strengthen the eponymous retail group’s catalog of brands—including Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic—with “crisp identities and purpose” to counter years of sluggish sales.
“We have to communicate through innovative marketing to regain a powerful ongoing voice in the cultural conversation,” he told investors. “We need to do this, while consistently executing with excellence at every touch point and interaction.”
For the conglomerate’s namesake brand, the first manifestation of this blueprint came in the form of “Linen Moves,” a crisp, reimagined take on TikTok-famous music video “Back on 74” by Jungle. The original video sparked its own dance craze on the platform, garnering over 1 billion views to date.
Designed to promote the retailer’s newest collection, Gap’s spot puts South African Grammy Award-winning artist Tyla front and center.
And if the seamless motion and choreographed dancing in the ads looks familiar, that’s because it’s meant to: The spots hark back to Gap’s iconic 1990s and 2000s campaigns, which featured troupes of dancers strutting their stuff in khakis and denim.
The creative was directed by Jungle members Charlie Di Placido and J Lloyd. Elsewhere, Shay Latukolan, who was behind the original dance, worked his magic on the choreography.
This perfect blend of nostalgia and virality could be just the ticket for Gap to revive its brand and appeal to younger consumers following years of sluggish sales.
In a statement, Gap said its 2024 campaign, which was developed in-house, serves as a celebration “of self-expression and individuality through fashion, music and dance.”
Mark Breitbard, Gap’s president and CEO, said working with talent like Tyla was not just a choice, but a “commitment to Gap’s heritage,” harking back to a time when the likes of Madonna, Alanis Morissette and Lenny Kravitz would front its spots.
“This campaign pays homage to Gap’s iconic musical ads of the past, while embracing the diverse voices and talents that shape our present and future,” he said.
In recent years, the brand’s marketing has flip-flopped between featuring famous faces like author and podcast host Jay Shetty, and its “Dream the Future” platformn, which featured Yeah Yeah Yeahs artist Karen O. However, nothing has been as strikingly confident or tapped into trending topics like “Linen Moves” does.
