This is an interesting breakdown from a Gen Z perspective, and quite appropo as The Gap name refers to the generation gap, but respectfully I'm not sure you've gone back far enough to understand their present moves. Yes, for the past about 20 years Gap was an easily passed mall store, but it was, like, actually cool in the 90s and early aughts and had some of the best advertising of the time from print to television. I would argue that they're not necessarily trying to capture the attention of Gen Z with these moves (I think that's what they were trying with the Kanye/Balenciaga stunts, again, respectfully :)) - Zac Posen, Mia Thermopolis, and Dôen all speak to the Millennial customer who was all about them in middle and high school and whose attention I'd say they're trying to recapture after the company failed to maintain relevancy into the millennium or keep up with the DTC boom. They're trying to get those lost eyes back on them to prove they actually do have the product that type of customer wants and has been buying elsewhere (Zac's first real drop looks nearly identical to Matteau). I think they'd say any Gen Z eyes they capture are a huge extra benefit, but remember - the trends you reference aren't "new", I had that same white tiered midi skirt 20 years ago. Trends change, yes, but it's pretty cyclical and they have time on their side when it comes to understanding the trend cycle. Also their Re-Issue collections with Sean Wotherspoon are so good and also speak to the Millennials who were around for the original issues. Also, something else to look into as maybe a different story: The Gap has done a ton of community work around black and brown communities - a TON. They understand where their bread has been buttered the past few decades and was an early sign-on to the 15% Pledge. Look into their partnership with Dapper Dan and what cultural talent they've been partnering with. Also also, just a note - J.Crew and The Gap are separate, although they do share the lasting influence of Mickey Drexler. Agree though that what Olympia Gayot is doing for them is so fresh and relevant while staying true to brand roots. Hope she's getting paid proportionately to their resurgence.
Thanks for these thoughts, Kirby! I didn't even think about 'Gap' as a pun (but I should have used that for the title!) :)
Totally agree that Gap had a really strong brand in the 90s. Gen Z is a sucker for nostalgia, so I think that Gap is successfully building off of its 90s-era brand association to reach a Gen Z consumer. I also agree that they're particularly advantaged to do so because they've been around for a while, and they have an awareness of those cyclical trends. Gen Z is so drawn to nostalgia in fashion, so Gap can strategically bring back their older looks and core aesthetics to reach them.
I also think Gap is trying to reach millennials. There's definitely some cross over in interests and cultural experiences. In my experience, Princess Diaries/Ella Enchanted/Anne Hathaway is a Gen Z fan-favorite, and Doen is a popular brand for both Gen Z and millennials.
I don’t think Gap is ever going to be perceived as “cool” as it once was, and I don’t think they’re trying to with these recent moves. Trying to convince new customers, Gen Z in this instance, who know them as a bleak mall store, that the brand is cool is a very tall order. And again, I think they tried that and failed with the Kanye/Balenciaga stuff. Rather it seems as though they’re doubling down on what they do best in order to recapture lost customers where the reacquisition cost is not as high as first-time acquisition because of their pre-established brand value.
Targeting the Gen Z audience for them is a risk, and one that they’ve already taken in a costly way. Yet stripping down their product offering and showing up in places where those past customers - who are also now shopping Gap Kids and Baby - currently are, is a smarter, more efficacious strategy.
I don’t think they’re writing off Gen Z either. As we know from The Devil Wears Prada the trickle down effect is very real in fashion - I would argue that’s what Gap is hoping for here in terms of capturing Gen Z eyeballs and conversions. How many Gen Z girls learned of Princess Diaries from a babysitter? Most of the things I think are cool I learned about from someone older than me. In this case, I would put Doen and Zac Posen firmly in that category when it comes to Gen Z. Not to say what they’re doing doesn’t speak to you, but in this context assuming you’re the target is missing the mark.
I share this not to critique, but to encourage a more comprehensive and dynamic conversation. You connect a lot of dots here. Frankly, I’m seeing a lot of posts on here from Gen Z writers assuming that most if not all things are being marketed toward them and only speaking to that. Sometimes it is about you, and sometimes…not so much. I would caution that Gen Z does not exist in a vacuum…to be annoyingly of-the-moment: you guys aren’t coconuts. Nostalgia is all about reverence for the past - I think it would be really helpful to actually speak to and of that reverence in a more substantial way in pieces like this.
Last note - they just released the cutest Back to School campaign that harkens back to their actually iconic dance tv spots. I think really well done and definitely worth checking out. I’m not sure why they decided to spend the money on the Napoleon Dynamite guys at the end, but maybe that is speaking to Gen Z in a way I just don’t understand :)
Thanks Caroline, all sent with good intent. This platform is in desperate need of some quality discourse...feels very much like an echo chamber/circle jerk on here. I would highly recommend The Sociology of Business by Ana Andjelic. Broaden your lens, question your ideas, research research research! (Something to use AI for :)) Take a look at those tv spots from the 90's - trend cycles and nostalgia go hand-in-hand and neither are novel to this time
Super smart breakdown! I also think Gap has been doing great things on social - their collab with Tyla and Jungle evoked the 90s Gap khaki campaigns and was super successful. They struck while the iron was hot with Tyla, who was having a major breakout moment. 😊
Smart piece! We’ve come a long way from the moose and the zip hoodies with the giant GAP letters across the front—good examples of when it’s time to let go of past brand equity to make room to reposition or appeal to a new audience.
Unless I've missed something -- which is totally possible and very frequently the case -- I don't think Gap owns J.Crew? tbh though, this actually makes the comparison between the brands even more interesting, given both of their unexpected and impressive rises.
Ah! My apologies – I must have mixed it up with Banana Republic. Thanks for calling that out. The correction has been made. However, I do think it's an interesting parallel all the same!
This is an interesting breakdown from a Gen Z perspective, and quite appropo as The Gap name refers to the generation gap, but respectfully I'm not sure you've gone back far enough to understand their present moves. Yes, for the past about 20 years Gap was an easily passed mall store, but it was, like, actually cool in the 90s and early aughts and had some of the best advertising of the time from print to television. I would argue that they're not necessarily trying to capture the attention of Gen Z with these moves (I think that's what they were trying with the Kanye/Balenciaga stunts, again, respectfully :)) - Zac Posen, Mia Thermopolis, and Dôen all speak to the Millennial customer who was all about them in middle and high school and whose attention I'd say they're trying to recapture after the company failed to maintain relevancy into the millennium or keep up with the DTC boom. They're trying to get those lost eyes back on them to prove they actually do have the product that type of customer wants and has been buying elsewhere (Zac's first real drop looks nearly identical to Matteau). I think they'd say any Gen Z eyes they capture are a huge extra benefit, but remember - the trends you reference aren't "new", I had that same white tiered midi skirt 20 years ago. Trends change, yes, but it's pretty cyclical and they have time on their side when it comes to understanding the trend cycle. Also their Re-Issue collections with Sean Wotherspoon are so good and also speak to the Millennials who were around for the original issues. Also, something else to look into as maybe a different story: The Gap has done a ton of community work around black and brown communities - a TON. They understand where their bread has been buttered the past few decades and was an early sign-on to the 15% Pledge. Look into their partnership with Dapper Dan and what cultural talent they've been partnering with. Also also, just a note - J.Crew and The Gap are separate, although they do share the lasting influence of Mickey Drexler. Agree though that what Olympia Gayot is doing for them is so fresh and relevant while staying true to brand roots. Hope she's getting paid proportionately to their resurgence.
Thanks for these thoughts, Kirby! I didn't even think about 'Gap' as a pun (but I should have used that for the title!) :)
Totally agree that Gap had a really strong brand in the 90s. Gen Z is a sucker for nostalgia, so I think that Gap is successfully building off of its 90s-era brand association to reach a Gen Z consumer. I also agree that they're particularly advantaged to do so because they've been around for a while, and they have an awareness of those cyclical trends. Gen Z is so drawn to nostalgia in fashion, so Gap can strategically bring back their older looks and core aesthetics to reach them.
I also think Gap is trying to reach millennials. There's definitely some cross over in interests and cultural experiences. In my experience, Princess Diaries/Ella Enchanted/Anne Hathaway is a Gen Z fan-favorite, and Doen is a popular brand for both Gen Z and millennials.
I don’t think Gap is ever going to be perceived as “cool” as it once was, and I don’t think they’re trying to with these recent moves. Trying to convince new customers, Gen Z in this instance, who know them as a bleak mall store, that the brand is cool is a very tall order. And again, I think they tried that and failed with the Kanye/Balenciaga stuff. Rather it seems as though they’re doubling down on what they do best in order to recapture lost customers where the reacquisition cost is not as high as first-time acquisition because of their pre-established brand value.
Targeting the Gen Z audience for them is a risk, and one that they’ve already taken in a costly way. Yet stripping down their product offering and showing up in places where those past customers - who are also now shopping Gap Kids and Baby - currently are, is a smarter, more efficacious strategy.
I don’t think they’re writing off Gen Z either. As we know from The Devil Wears Prada the trickle down effect is very real in fashion - I would argue that’s what Gap is hoping for here in terms of capturing Gen Z eyeballs and conversions. How many Gen Z girls learned of Princess Diaries from a babysitter? Most of the things I think are cool I learned about from someone older than me. In this case, I would put Doen and Zac Posen firmly in that category when it comes to Gen Z. Not to say what they’re doing doesn’t speak to you, but in this context assuming you’re the target is missing the mark.
I share this not to critique, but to encourage a more comprehensive and dynamic conversation. You connect a lot of dots here. Frankly, I’m seeing a lot of posts on here from Gen Z writers assuming that most if not all things are being marketed toward them and only speaking to that. Sometimes it is about you, and sometimes…not so much. I would caution that Gen Z does not exist in a vacuum…to be annoyingly of-the-moment: you guys aren’t coconuts. Nostalgia is all about reverence for the past - I think it would be really helpful to actually speak to and of that reverence in a more substantial way in pieces like this.
Last note - they just released the cutest Back to School campaign that harkens back to their actually iconic dance tv spots. I think really well done and definitely worth checking out. I’m not sure why they decided to spend the money on the Napoleon Dynamite guys at the end, but maybe that is speaking to Gen Z in a way I just don’t understand :)
Thank you for your insights here, Kirby! Appreciate the perspective.
Thanks Caroline, all sent with good intent. This platform is in desperate need of some quality discourse...feels very much like an echo chamber/circle jerk on here. I would highly recommend The Sociology of Business by Ana Andjelic. Broaden your lens, question your ideas, research research research! (Something to use AI for :)) Take a look at those tv spots from the 90's - trend cycles and nostalgia go hand-in-hand and neither are novel to this time
Super smart breakdown! I also think Gap has been doing great things on social - their collab with Tyla and Jungle evoked the 90s Gap khaki campaigns and was super successful. They struck while the iron was hot with Tyla, who was having a major breakout moment. 😊
Yes!! Love that they successfully lean into their old-school look while adapting to a modern look and consumer.
Smart piece! We’ve come a long way from the moose and the zip hoodies with the giant GAP letters across the front—good examples of when it’s time to let go of past brand equity to make room to reposition or appeal to a new audience.
Totally!! think they've done a great job straddling the line of staying true to their core aesthetic/what they're known for while innovating.
Really smart!!! And honestly fascinating to watchable come back attempt in real life. Great break down!
Thank you, Ochuko!
Unless I've missed something -- which is totally possible and very frequently the case -- I don't think Gap owns J.Crew? tbh though, this actually makes the comparison between the brands even more interesting, given both of their unexpected and impressive rises.
Ah! My apologies – I must have mixed it up with Banana Republic. Thanks for calling that out. The correction has been made. However, I do think it's an interesting parallel all the same!