Such a great post and conversation here in the comments! I think “nostalgia” is one of the key tenets of marketing (“harkening back” despite the fact that we obviously can’t go back - or maybe that’s actually its power), but as a merchant, newness - or the perception of- is the secret sauce to selling product. Nostalgia pulls someone in, but newness is what makes them purchase.
As I was reading, I asked myself why I am not compelled to shop gap and, frankly, it's the price point. I don't budget for $$$ jeans, especially if they're coming from a big box store, anyway. Since you mentioned Starbucks employing nostalgia tactics, it reminded me of this video essay I watched yesterday on Starbucks' recent struggle to maintain their historic sales and their refusal to lower prices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zok7z5qdcM
With this at the top of my mind, I wonder if the success rate of nostalgia marketing is related to the price point. The target audience for these campaigns aren't people looking to shop luxury- it's the average (often millennial or gen z) consumer. I don't think nostalgia alone is powerful enough to justify record high prices for these brands, especially when there are discount options that very well are using nostalgic aesthetics to draw eyes, themselves.
Perhaps the question isn't if nostalgia marketing "works," but rather how often can it actually compete with the economic factors that repelled potential customers in the first place.
hi madelyn, very fair!! i would argue gap is at a similar price point as madewell, and abercrombie especially with how often they run promos/sales. i find myself less excited by gap's actual product catalog - its just jeans and basics. and exactly what you said -why would i buy a pair of jeans there when there is nothing unique about them? abercrombie on the other hand has access to the same nostalgia gap does, yet their sales have skyrocketed since their focus on new products + a rebrand. price is always a consideration, but for me, even if gap is on discount, i am still not per say "excited" by what they have to offer - my money is going elsewhere.
on starbucks - 100000% starbucks has been struggling for a plethora of reasons (competition, price point, lack of product innovation, failed products like the oleato, etc.). i am super interested to see what happens and if they are able to reclaim their brand. loved reading your perspective - thank you so much for sharing!!
This is a fun article and a topic I'm excited to see brands try to tackle without being cringey. I'll answer your poll publicly, I think Gap will have trouble with their rebrand unless they completely buy in to the nostalgia aspect, but I think they are too risk averse to fully buy in.
Right on, I think they are going to have a hard time unless they sell nostalgia - bringing back what made them iconic to begin with. I wonder if they need a full reset on brand to keep up, or just introduce some newer styles and products to drive up sales...
I think introducing 'nostalgia' driven products without much marketing strategy/ real position could sell in the short term, but it would continue the destruction of the brand health we have seen over the last 20 years.
I run on nostalgia but I'm not sold by these seasonal flavors (maybe because I don't even drink coffee lol). I get nostalgic by more personal things I feel like, not sure how to explain... but I do agree with the fact that these brands are attempting upsell on our own human feelings. As for gap, I don't think they'd as successful on a rebrand than Abercrombie was, for instance. The only thing I see for them is bringing back the logo hoodies in full force 🤣 other than that, I wouldn't buy expensive basics from them that I could possibly find at target or H&M for less money.
I am sold by the seasonal flavors unfortunately as a big coffee drinker, especially pumpkin-anything in the fall! As for GAP, you are right - they are bringing back the logo hoodies in full force and have been trying to (with their madhappy x gap collaboration). I agree with you - I am not buying overpriced basics from them either, even with their sale. Interestingly, you bring up H&M or other fast fashion brands. Maybe GAP should position themselves as an "all-american" made-in-the-US, counter-fast fashion brand, against H&M, Zara, etc. and that could give them more leverage. Food for thought!
I often think of nostalgia and consumerism as I move away from the **toxic** products that were always present in my childhood home. I don't use fabric softener, tile cleaner or bleach in my home now, but I can't deny the memories that come flooding back when I smell some good 'ol Gain and 409.
So, at what point is nostalgia not enough? Price point is a factor. Health and tradition are too. IMO, it comes down to the wow factor for clothing. And I don't mean 'wow, this is redefining fashion' - I mean, 'wow, this is actually what I expected to find here.'
I associate Gap with unfussy basics that will last. Two years ago, all I found were 10 variations of the same boxy shirt and jeans that weren't long enough. Earlier this summer, I was pleasantly surprised to buy two shirts, but one is already showing signs of wear.
I'll give this new campaign a try, but Gap already has one strike on my books.
exactly! when you said "two years ago, all I found were 10 variations of the same boxy shirt and jeans that weren't long enough" this is my qualm with gap. no product that is new or "worth" the purchase... good insights on the health and tradition factors as well - those are also important and less talked about!
I loved this! Gap has moments where I'm like yes they're coming back but to often than not I don't ever find myself actually buying anything from the brand anymore. The products just don't move me I look at it and then I see a pair of Madewell jeans or something from J.Crew that I would much rather buy than Gap. I think Gap have to fully lean into nostalgia and embrace it!
This is a great article! It's really interesting to see how nostalgia impacts us and how brands try to capitalize on that.
I also think there's an interesting link between nostalgia and joy. As an admitted PSL fan, I frickin love a theme. The fall theme, the christmas theme, a Disney theme. Those aren't necessarily emotional ties to my childhood (maybe Disney) but it's easy to hook me with a little bit of kitsch. Seems like that must play in as well!
i’m french and the one gap we have near me is the one in Aix En Provence, everytime i pass by the shop i find the clothes to be cheap looking like H&M. i don’t think we have the same collections from wherever you are and my place but i don’t see gap having a bright future ahead if it doesn’t follow the marketing trend of turning everything green(or at least have a collection made out of recyclable clothing)
thanks for your great thoughts! I'll have to mull over this more. I've always been interested in nostalgia as a concept but have not thought about it from a marketing standpoint as of yet.
Nostalgia marketing works so well on me. I love fall and I indulge in everything that reminds me of it. Some of my favourite brands are actually long gone brands that are not produced anymore, and with vintage I hunt for them in search of that little slice of past. I think Gap is nowhere near the “old” Gap, and I believe people know it - that’s why we haven’t heard much about it here in Europe!
such a smart concept! the gap example is really good — the campaign is cool but have you walked into a physical gap store recently? it's hardly nostalgia commodified. the florescent lights and dirty floors give abandoned mall in suburbia, even in new york. I think if they want to stay true to their campaign, they should at least re-do the stores in big cities with a glossier approach. make it an experience!
Going into a GAP store is sobering, they really could benefit from a physical-store front rebrand -- especially with only a 3% lift in in-store sales. The flip side of the coin - perhaps it's by design as GAP is a brand that has been around for so long and their physical storefront speaks to it. I am super curious to see what others think about this!
A deep dive on Gap v Abercrombie would be so interesting. I do think the Get Loose campaign is a clever play on product positioning, and interestingly both brands are promoting similar baggy jeans just merchandised quite differently.
Curious to keep an eye long-tail results of this campaign. It didn’t sell me personally but it did work on a friend (who usually shops at a way higher price point) and after seeing them on her I’m considering!
I don’t see Gap’s evolution as a true rebrand, whereas from what I know Abercrombie really overhauled several years ago, and from a recent WWD article it sounds like they’re planning to lean on brand extensions to keep the momentum going. Will be interesting to watch how they navigate that as we know there’s a fine line between strengthening and compromising the brand :)
Relatedly, it’s interesting that the engagement alone on Calvin Klein’s Jeremy Allen White campaign (which as amazing to be fair) was enough to repeat while they wait for the long-term revenue results to hit.
Hi Jess, I would love to do a deep dive on Gap vs. Abercrombie - seems like people are interested and there is so much to dig into! You are right that their newest campaign is a clever play on product - the campaigns they have been running, including the linen one, is all product-focused. I think a full reset rebrand from GAP isn't necessary as it was for Abercrombie, but I do wonder if they simply need a good product "refresh" - focusing on releasing more styles true to their brand rather than entirely rebranding.
I am also not a fashion expert, I just spend seriously too much time reading about brands/ products and observing them (I'm sure you relate!) It could be great to get more writers in the industry to weigh in - there has already been a few!
I find it super fascinating that with all the comments about Gap needing to revamp product here no one has mentioned Zac Posen, who was hired as Gap's creative director earlier this year - meaning we're just seeing glimmers of his impact emerge now with more to be seen. I would argue that Gap's brand dna is more associated with what is considered "classic", kind of like equal opportunity style, rather than nostalgia in itself. Whereas J.Crew, for example, is doing a bit more of copy/paste nostalgia with their catalogue activation (still with a modern twist), Gap continues to modernize classic styles that have proved steadfast, or what everyone is calling "basic", with updated silhouettes and materials. I totally agree that their brick and mortar strategy needs an update - the stores are bleak, and offer a lower quality experience than the product (and brand) deserves. These things take time, and with their decade plus of what I'd call "lost years", including their Kanye misstep, what Gap is doing now aligns much more with the brand's dna and I believe we'll see that more and more within the product offering. But I'm from San Francisco, I feel Gap's ethos in my blood and got hooked on advertising with their late 90s/early 00s commercials...I'm always rooting for them, and they as a company provide a lot of reasons to root for them if you're paying attention.
Such a great post and conversation here in the comments! I think “nostalgia” is one of the key tenets of marketing (“harkening back” despite the fact that we obviously can’t go back - or maybe that’s actually its power), but as a merchant, newness - or the perception of- is the secret sauce to selling product. Nostalgia pulls someone in, but newness is what makes them purchase.
As I was reading, I asked myself why I am not compelled to shop gap and, frankly, it's the price point. I don't budget for $$$ jeans, especially if they're coming from a big box store, anyway. Since you mentioned Starbucks employing nostalgia tactics, it reminded me of this video essay I watched yesterday on Starbucks' recent struggle to maintain their historic sales and their refusal to lower prices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zok7z5qdcM
With this at the top of my mind, I wonder if the success rate of nostalgia marketing is related to the price point. The target audience for these campaigns aren't people looking to shop luxury- it's the average (often millennial or gen z) consumer. I don't think nostalgia alone is powerful enough to justify record high prices for these brands, especially when there are discount options that very well are using nostalgic aesthetics to draw eyes, themselves.
Perhaps the question isn't if nostalgia marketing "works," but rather how often can it actually compete with the economic factors that repelled potential customers in the first place.
hi madelyn, very fair!! i would argue gap is at a similar price point as madewell, and abercrombie especially with how often they run promos/sales. i find myself less excited by gap's actual product catalog - its just jeans and basics. and exactly what you said -why would i buy a pair of jeans there when there is nothing unique about them? abercrombie on the other hand has access to the same nostalgia gap does, yet their sales have skyrocketed since their focus on new products + a rebrand. price is always a consideration, but for me, even if gap is on discount, i am still not per say "excited" by what they have to offer - my money is going elsewhere.
on starbucks - 100000% starbucks has been struggling for a plethora of reasons (competition, price point, lack of product innovation, failed products like the oleato, etc.). i am super interested to see what happens and if they are able to reclaim their brand. loved reading your perspective - thank you so much for sharing!!
Yesss I think a case study comparison between Abercrombie and gap is really interesting. I totally agree.
This is a fun article and a topic I'm excited to see brands try to tackle without being cringey. I'll answer your poll publicly, I think Gap will have trouble with their rebrand unless they completely buy in to the nostalgia aspect, but I think they are too risk averse to fully buy in.
Right on, I think they are going to have a hard time unless they sell nostalgia - bringing back what made them iconic to begin with. I wonder if they need a full reset on brand to keep up, or just introduce some newer styles and products to drive up sales...
I think introducing 'nostalgia' driven products without much marketing strategy/ real position could sell in the short term, but it would continue the destruction of the brand health we have seen over the last 20 years.
I run on nostalgia but I'm not sold by these seasonal flavors (maybe because I don't even drink coffee lol). I get nostalgic by more personal things I feel like, not sure how to explain... but I do agree with the fact that these brands are attempting upsell on our own human feelings. As for gap, I don't think they'd as successful on a rebrand than Abercrombie was, for instance. The only thing I see for them is bringing back the logo hoodies in full force 🤣 other than that, I wouldn't buy expensive basics from them that I could possibly find at target or H&M for less money.
I am sold by the seasonal flavors unfortunately as a big coffee drinker, especially pumpkin-anything in the fall! As for GAP, you are right - they are bringing back the logo hoodies in full force and have been trying to (with their madhappy x gap collaboration). I agree with you - I am not buying overpriced basics from them either, even with their sale. Interestingly, you bring up H&M or other fast fashion brands. Maybe GAP should position themselves as an "all-american" made-in-the-US, counter-fast fashion brand, against H&M, Zara, etc. and that could give them more leverage. Food for thought!
I often think of nostalgia and consumerism as I move away from the **toxic** products that were always present in my childhood home. I don't use fabric softener, tile cleaner or bleach in my home now, but I can't deny the memories that come flooding back when I smell some good 'ol Gain and 409.
So, at what point is nostalgia not enough? Price point is a factor. Health and tradition are too. IMO, it comes down to the wow factor for clothing. And I don't mean 'wow, this is redefining fashion' - I mean, 'wow, this is actually what I expected to find here.'
I associate Gap with unfussy basics that will last. Two years ago, all I found were 10 variations of the same boxy shirt and jeans that weren't long enough. Earlier this summer, I was pleasantly surprised to buy two shirts, but one is already showing signs of wear.
I'll give this new campaign a try, but Gap already has one strike on my books.
exactly! when you said "two years ago, all I found were 10 variations of the same boxy shirt and jeans that weren't long enough" this is my qualm with gap. no product that is new or "worth" the purchase... good insights on the health and tradition factors as well - those are also important and less talked about!
I loved this! Gap has moments where I'm like yes they're coming back but to often than not I don't ever find myself actually buying anything from the brand anymore. The products just don't move me I look at it and then I see a pair of Madewell jeans or something from J.Crew that I would much rather buy than Gap. I think Gap have to fully lean into nostalgia and embrace it!
This is a great article! It's really interesting to see how nostalgia impacts us and how brands try to capitalize on that.
I also think there's an interesting link between nostalgia and joy. As an admitted PSL fan, I frickin love a theme. The fall theme, the christmas theme, a Disney theme. Those aren't necessarily emotional ties to my childhood (maybe Disney) but it's easy to hook me with a little bit of kitsch. Seems like that must play in as well!
i’m french and the one gap we have near me is the one in Aix En Provence, everytime i pass by the shop i find the clothes to be cheap looking like H&M. i don’t think we have the same collections from wherever you are and my place but i don’t see gap having a bright future ahead if it doesn’t follow the marketing trend of turning everything green(or at least have a collection made out of recyclable clothing)
This is so interesting! Maybe this goes back to the point that they need to get creative with their product again!
thanks for your great thoughts! I'll have to mull over this more. I've always been interested in nostalgia as a concept but have not thought about it from a marketing standpoint as of yet.
Thank you! Excited to see what you think 💭
Excellent insight in this article! Love your writing style!
Thank you!
Nostalgia marketing works so well on me. I love fall and I indulge in everything that reminds me of it. Some of my favourite brands are actually long gone brands that are not produced anymore, and with vintage I hunt for them in search of that little slice of past. I think Gap is nowhere near the “old” Gap, and I believe people know it - that’s why we haven’t heard much about it here in Europe!
I loved reading this 🤍🤍🤍
such a smart concept! the gap example is really good — the campaign is cool but have you walked into a physical gap store recently? it's hardly nostalgia commodified. the florescent lights and dirty floors give abandoned mall in suburbia, even in new york. I think if they want to stay true to their campaign, they should at least re-do the stores in big cities with a glossier approach. make it an experience!
Going into a GAP store is sobering, they really could benefit from a physical-store front rebrand -- especially with only a 3% lift in in-store sales. The flip side of the coin - perhaps it's by design as GAP is a brand that has been around for so long and their physical storefront speaks to it. I am super curious to see what others think about this!
A deep dive on Gap v Abercrombie would be so interesting. I do think the Get Loose campaign is a clever play on product positioning, and interestingly both brands are promoting similar baggy jeans just merchandised quite differently.
Curious to keep an eye long-tail results of this campaign. It didn’t sell me personally but it did work on a friend (who usually shops at a way higher price point) and after seeing them on her I’m considering!
I don’t see Gap’s evolution as a true rebrand, whereas from what I know Abercrombie really overhauled several years ago, and from a recent WWD article it sounds like they’re planning to lean on brand extensions to keep the momentum going. Will be interesting to watch how they navigate that as we know there’s a fine line between strengthening and compromising the brand :)
Relatedly, it’s interesting that the engagement alone on Calvin Klein’s Jeremy Allen White campaign (which as amazing to be fair) was enough to repeat while they wait for the long-term revenue results to hit.
I’m no fashion expert but very curious!
Hi Jess, I would love to do a deep dive on Gap vs. Abercrombie - seems like people are interested and there is so much to dig into! You are right that their newest campaign is a clever play on product - the campaigns they have been running, including the linen one, is all product-focused. I think a full reset rebrand from GAP isn't necessary as it was for Abercrombie, but I do wonder if they simply need a good product "refresh" - focusing on releasing more styles true to their brand rather than entirely rebranding.
I am also not a fashion expert, I just spend seriously too much time reading about brands/ products and observing them (I'm sure you relate!) It could be great to get more writers in the industry to weigh in - there has already been a few!
I find it super fascinating that with all the comments about Gap needing to revamp product here no one has mentioned Zac Posen, who was hired as Gap's creative director earlier this year - meaning we're just seeing glimmers of his impact emerge now with more to be seen. I would argue that Gap's brand dna is more associated with what is considered "classic", kind of like equal opportunity style, rather than nostalgia in itself. Whereas J.Crew, for example, is doing a bit more of copy/paste nostalgia with their catalogue activation (still with a modern twist), Gap continues to modernize classic styles that have proved steadfast, or what everyone is calling "basic", with updated silhouettes and materials. I totally agree that their brick and mortar strategy needs an update - the stores are bleak, and offer a lower quality experience than the product (and brand) deserves. These things take time, and with their decade plus of what I'd call "lost years", including their Kanye misstep, what Gap is doing now aligns much more with the brand's dna and I believe we'll see that more and more within the product offering. But I'm from San Francisco, I feel Gap's ethos in my blood and got hooked on advertising with their late 90s/early 00s commercials...I'm always rooting for them, and they as a company provide a lot of reasons to root for them if you're paying attention.