Photo Via treycopeland.com
The internet is freaking out over the new Gap logo (a hater created this new logo for them) and we get it. It looks like Gap is schilling for Lipitor. The thing is, the logo change wasn’t actually that sudden.
Gap started using the same helvetica font in advertisements for 1969 jeans over a year ago and it’s also been used in stores and on tags. This can be seen as one of many strategies the company has employed in an attempt to improve business, which hasn’t been doing so well over the past few years, a downfall many have attributed to the company’s lack of direction.
Gap’s creative director since 2007, Patrick Robinson, revealed his interest in keeping Gap modern and fresh as part of his plan to “elevate the brand.” However, some are criticizing Gap for taking this too far by getting rid of the “iconic” logo of the “heritage” brand. But is Gap really a heritage brand? 1969 was not that long ago. Maybe a step forward, visually or otherwise, is what the brand needs.
Honestly, we’re not huge fans of the new logo, but what was really so great about the original? I have mixed feelings about it. Sure, there’s some positive nostalgia associated with it, but at the same time, it reminds me of the logo-obsessed ‘90s when you couldn’t walk down the street without seeing someone with GAP sprawled across a t-shirt or sweatshirt. That was great marketing for the company back then, but it doesn’t work now.
As you may have heard, following an outpouring of hatred for the new logo, Gap has responded by saying they’re open to other ideas and are planning a crowd sourcing project on Facebook to see if the public can come up with something better.
So while the final logo might not be the one you’re seeing now, it’s unlikely Gap will backpedal so far as to return to the original. However, it will live on in The Social Network, in which a college-aged Mark Zuckerberg sports an oversized sweatshirt with the logo prominently featured (inspired by a photo of the real Zuckerberg wearing the same sweatshirt at Harvard in the early aughts).
Perhaps this is the image Gap is trying to escape. It’s been a while since Gap has been seen as the hip, must-have brand it was back in the day, and because the logo was such a huge part of the brand, Gap, understandably, saw changing the logo as an important step in changing the brand.
However, brands like J. Crew have managed to successfully elevate their brand without changing their logo, proving there are other, perhaps more effective methods of doing this. Do you think the logo change was necessary? And can Gap reclaim success?
Tags: Gap, Patrick Robinson
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Can somebody please copy edit this website? It is so laden with mistakes it’s freakin distracting.
PLEASE…
“Honestly, we’re huge fans of the new logo, but what was really so great about the original?” – Do you mean “Honestly, we’re NOT huge fans of the new logo, but what was really so great about the original?”, otherwise it sounds grammatically awkward and just confuses the reader as to the intent of the writer. Basically, a simple mistake like this makes your entire post unprofessional.
“As you may have heard, following an an outpouring of hatred for the new logo” – remove one of the “an” words
Thank you
I think that was a stutter because the logo is CRAP! Relax Copyhead.
it would be one thing to revert to their original 1969 branding (http://tinyurl.com/26hd37y) which is honestly really great looking, and is both modern while recalling nostalgia, so the history is there.
This new logo is really summing up everything wrong with (lazy) modern design, that by using a very neutral typeface like helvetica and adding a clean! modern! box, you think you’re making a statement about being clean and modern when really you’re kind of being as nondescript and boring as possible. Just like the clothes gap sells. so really the new logo is perfect. Boring and bland, and just like everything else.
I’m not too attached to the original to bar any change, but this just doesn’t look professional. Looking professional should be the baseline they’re aiming for. Looking sleek, directional and attractive should be a sticking point beyond that. The older one (I’m not thinking of the sweatshirt logo, but the blue block with white relief letters inside) was sleeker and just all around more attractive. I think anyone would identify that old logo as looking more expensive and appealing.
I just think they should realize the kind of scrutiny any move they make will be under, and make absolutely sure that their advancements are inscrutable. Nobody in advertising or PR would or imagine or describe that logo as an inscrutable direction.
^^^^^^^^^when I look at any Gap logo, I think neither “expensive” nor “appealing”
In summary, Gap tried to think outside the blue box and failed.
Absolutely terrible! I normally don’t have an opinion about logos, but this is horrible looking. The new logo looks like it’s already out of date. Why is the GAP going backwards? Terrible marketing strategy. This is a Branding 101 mistake. I thinks heads will roll at the GAP. Or did they do this for publicity reasons? Reminds me of the “new” Coke formula back in the day–remember that flop?
agreed.
This store isn’t the same as it was back in the day. Both the GAP and BANANA REPUBLIC are too expensive. BANANA REPUBLIC has some corduroy pants at a whopping $70 each. WOW!! I’d might as well shop at stores like Nordstrom and Abercrombie. At least with those top stores you’ll also get great customer service. The only “true original vintage” style clothing is at Abercrombie & Fitch.
I’ve never been to Abercrombie, ever, but aren’t they often said to instruct their employees to be unhelpful and disengaged from customer service? I guess that isn’t your experience.
True about Banana Republic. Their employees seem almost non existent until they queue up to ring you through. I’ve always had better customer service experiences at American Apparel, who are always condemned for having bitchy sales staff.
yes, this website has typos all the time. Not very professional.
What would be appealing about walking around with a baggy jumper on with the word CRAP on! I would be ashamed! Not that i’d ever wear a Gap hoodie either!
It is not necessary to change the logo,the important step for GAP is to build strong brand perception in consumers minds and I think they are not good at in that!They are always same!
It is not necessary to change the logo,the important step for GAP is to build strong brand perception in consumers minds and I think they are not good at in that!They are always same!
One of the reasons Gap started considering changing the logo was to bolster their slowing business. What it did was call attention to their business slowing, and provided NOTHING with which to connect. Ask yourself if you are more likely or less likely to go into a gap than before. For me it is LESS likely. You don’t want to align yourself with an entity that has an identity crisis.
Art is subjective and everybody will have an opinion. However, I think we can all agree that the new logo does nothing positive for the brand. It looks as if it could be the logo for industrial adhesive, not a clothing brand.
You can find more Gap Logo satire at http://NewLogoTalk.com
Check this out. Lululemon Spoofed the Gaps Spoof logo.
http://www.lulumum.blogspot.com/
Logo change or not, I think the real problem with Gap clothing is the fit and the fact that most of the quality is pretty poor. If the company could convince me those aspects had changed, I would be willing to try one of its stores again.