The Gap has done an about face on the new log0 and returned to the old logo. It was a beautiful disaster in the making that never really became beautiful or a disaster. In advertising we look at the brand, the brand image as well as the brand perception. Advertising is the entire package of a well designed logo that is easily identifiable to the product, the message as well as the tv, radio and print that reinforces the message that the brand wants the consumer to accept and adopt. Traditional advertising supported this where social media marketing has embellished it.
The Gap Disaster
The Gap decided that after 20 years that they needed a new logo that spoke to their consumers … the younger generation. A logo that defined them and spoke to them. They failed. The new logo while simplistic and yielded a lot white space actually spoke to the older generation who are not savvy with photoshop or design elements. Helvetica as font is not hip, a gradient blue square is not hip – it is the simplicity that the older generation identifies with as a Microsoft Word standard font and a square that can be generated from Microsoft paint, or the like. Their target laughed while the older generation pondered.
After 20 years we all start to notice that we may need a face lift and the Gap is no different. However, they failed to really understand their target as a whole. Yes, the younger generation is their consumer and speaking to them speaks volumes in and of itself however they did not consider the creative necessary element to their demographic.
The Beautiful Of the New Gap Logo
There is a beautiful part to what the Gap’s’ new (but now old) logo. Everyone talked and oh did we. The negativity around the soreness on the eyes, the font choice and the gradient was sensational. Sensational from the point of we all talked. Gap gained what is a negative publicity and made designers tingle at the thought that this was going to be a crowd sourced project. And, it was, until they pulled the plug. Legal probably got involved, their agency who has been unavailable for comment may have exclusivity or not. We do not know but, what we do know is that now is that they inadvertenly they created a social media dream. Customers talked, bloggers talked, Huffington Post talked, Ad Age talked, albeit negative but yet negative but the social media community spoke and they created a buzz that we were unsure of. But, we wanted more, more to be as big as Old Spice.
Why the New Logo Failed
The new log failed on design and then some.The design was simple and not indicative of their brand that we have known. They were unveiling a new logo but yet they were introducing the . 1969 … for their target that is so before their time, that is when the Beatles gave their last public performance, Nixon was President, Sesame Street and the Brady Bunch premiered, Pele scored his 1,000th goal, the JETS won the Superbowl and the AFC was born and the METS won the World Series. While the jeans are reflective of the times being darker and significant tothe year that the Gap was born, they incorporated a recyclable component for a contest. Ok so I get it now, born in 1969, new logo that is reflective of the “new brand” that sets to resonate with your younger jean wearing customers that see 1969 as history but yet has a green component.
Gap has returned to the old logo which will make consumers happy and advertisers scratching their head, not for the design but yet the opportunity they created. They had their customers talking, their competition watching and the rest of us wanting for more.
Do you think the Gap made smart move in admitting their wrong and going back to the old logo?