Peace Blah Gap
Something was just not right. The hip hop music was okay. The celeb rappin’ it was okay. But the overall commercial just fell flat. They tried to be cool, but to me, they were blah. That’s unusual – I usually click with Gap ads.
Today I ran across an article on Washingtonpost.com that nailed it for me.
Though its ads featuring music, dance and celebrities have won acclaim for their inventiveness, store traffic is down as teens and young adults flock to trendier retailers Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
and Aeropostale Inc. , believing Gap jeans and sweaters are more appropriate for their parents. Older shoppers, on the other hand, have been confused by Gap’s focus on younger-styled apparel like skinny pants and the use of hip-hop music in ads, analysts and customers say.
The article also points out that the ads focus on one item of clothing, like the hoodie featured in the holiday spots, rather than pushing the whole line. The Gap says that their strategy is working, and they are converting shoppers into multiple-item buyers. But, the same store sales figures don’t add up with that – dropping for 10 months running.
The company’s news release is more positive, of course. And, according to a National Retail Federation survey, the ads rank among consumers’ top 10 for this holiday season.
So, while they are cool ads, in the end, are they effective? I liked this quote from the Washingtonpost.com article:
For example, Kelly Collazos, a 15-year-old New Jersey high-school student, said she liked the music on the ad, but still skipped the store on a recent Christmas shopping trip.
“The music and the commercials are good but the styles, well, it’s a Mom store,” she said. “My aunts shop there.”
It doesn’t look like “peace love sales” for the Gap this year.
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