Katseye and the Gap are giving us something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
In a new ad campaign, titled “Better in Denim,” Gap trades on a tried-and-true formula for the clothing company: a hit song, an infectious dance and blue jeans.
The spot feels tailor-made for the TikTok generation, featuring the global girl group Katseye, performing choreography by Robbie Blue to the 2003 Kelis song, “Milkshake.”
“This is denim as you define it. Your individuality. Your self-expression,” a description for the ad reads. “Your style. Powerful on your own. Even better together.”
The diversity, dancing and fashion has helped the ad go viral at a time when there’s been debate about how companies are relating to their customer base. Such was the case a few weeks ago, when American Eagle released a campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney in which puns about jeans and genes struck some as a reference to eugenics and sparked social grappling about cancel culture and what it means to be American.
Gap appears to have avoided controversy by sticking with an approach they have been using in similar ads for almost 30 years, many that have featured actors and artists – like Katseye – who are having a cultural moment.
Here’s some of the past ads:
“Everybody in Cords”
They called it “Mellow Yellow.”
In 1999, Gap featured a group of models singing the hit 1966 Donovan song.
Extra points if you can spot actress Rashida Jones in the ad.
The electronic music duo Daft Punk popped up in a 2001 ad for the company, alongside actress Juliette Lewis.
It felt a little avant garde as both the masked musicians and Lewis were definitely more stars to the cooler kids than the average consumer, but it worked.
Two years later, Gap featured a campaign with Madonna and Missy Elliott.
The song choice was a mashup of Madonna’s singles “Hollywood” and “Into the Groove.” Elliott, a producer, songwriter and artist, rapped in the spot.
Kravitz serenaded “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker with his hit “Lady” in this 2004 ad.
We forgive her the fedora.
This one felt like a direct appeal to “White Lotus” fans.
By bringing in one of that show’s biggest stars last season, noted indie actress Parker Posey, the coolness factor was turned up even higher.
And to quote her character on the series, at her age she’s not meant to live an uncomfortable life.
A classic fit never goes out of style.
