Why Do You Hate The Gap?
August 1, 2007
Annie Leibovitz is all over advertising these days. First the Louis Vuitton ads featuring Mikhail Gorbachev and now, the latest campaign for The Gap. She’s done some work with them before, but considering the company’s sluggish sales, they should consider mixing up the creative talent. The work by Laird + Partners features black-and-white Leibovitz photos of celebrities, both world-famous and relatively obscure, showing off the company’s fall line in a print campaign called, “Classics Redefined.”
“You could take something as simple as a sweater vest, but when you see it on John Mayer it’s fresh and new,” said Trey Laird, president and ecd of the New York independent agency.
Whoa. Has The Gap and Trey Laird learned nothing? The retailer has been using celebrities (Claire Danes, Audrey Hepburn, Sarah Jessica Parker, et al.) for AGES to push their products and it hasn’t helped one bit. Whoever is in charge over there obviously has zero idea what the real problem is with The Gap. Hello – market research anyone? However, consumers know. The blog, The Consumerist, asked their readers – “Why Do You Hate The Gap?” The answers are illuminating. Here are some highlights:
BY SPIN_SYCLE AT 01/19/07 04:39 PM
Too expensive, too pretentious, the place isn’t even friendly….nothing there I want to buy….no celebrity could ever entice me to spend $$$ there.
BY DEEJAYQUEUE AT 01/19/07 03:59 PM
I hate the gap because they charge like $50 for a sweatshirt that costs 1/4 that at old navy, and is the same exact thing. Meanwhile Banana Republic is charging the same $50 for a sweater that’s like 10x sexier.
I hate the gap because it closed itself.
BY WINDOWSEAT AT 01/19/07 04:17 PM
I don’t hate The Gap, I just can’t find anything I like there anymore. (Okay, for the past six years or so.)
BY JOOPITER AT 01/19/07 04:23 PM
You can try on 6 different pairs of the same jeans in the same size, length and cut and all 6 pairs will fit differently – that kind of piss-poor quality control is why I stopped shopping at the Gap.
See all the feedback here.
August 1, 2007 at 4:15 pm
[...] More: Why Do You Hate The Gap? [...]
August 1, 2007 at 5:00 pm
I agree with every one of the reasons for hating The Gap, and I would add that the music played in store is also desperately trying to convey a young, cool attitude and only succeeds in making me get out of the store sooner. Not that Old Navy is better, but for the prices I can tolerate it. The GAP was where it was at in the 90’s when I was in middle school and high school. I haven’t had reason to shop there in years now. I can’t even think of anything in my closet from there anymore.
August 1, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Once Upon a Time, The Gap was positioned to do something important –like raise money for AIDS/HIV research and cures and they f—-d up with bad fit, lousy quality and too high prices. My advice?
Do some QC, hire new designers, invest that Annie Leibowitz $ into Market Research and stop
Star F—–g, GAP managers!
August 1, 2007 at 8:53 pm
I don’t hate the gap, but their just not being smart about who their competition is, I mean if I wanted to spend 40.00 on a t-shirt I would go to Neimans, Im not gonna go to the gap, but everytime i go that’s what i find. The kids clothes are absolutly overpriced and I can’t understand why. Right now they should be calling Target and asking them what they are doing and get on the same plan!
August 1, 2007 at 9:13 pm
I hate the GAP because it mass produces schlock uniforms. It is dismaying to see how many celebrities are willing to put their faces on the adverts of the almighty GAP.
August 1, 2007 at 11:56 pm
The Gap seems to have lost its mission….it doesn’t know who it is or who’s it’s serving. The clothes are mostly frumpy and generic, the color palates are dull and uninspiring, and the fit is so screwy that now a 2 is big on me when I’m normally a 4. I want to like them, but they make it hard.
Oh, and the advertising campaigns – season after season with the celebs in khakis or whatever is so tired.
August 2, 2007 at 12:02 am
[...] Why Do You Hate The Gap? [image] Annie Leibovitz is all over advertising these days. First the Louis Vuitton ads featuring Mikhail Gorbachev […] [...]
August 2, 2007 at 12:02 am
Well done, great blog and great posts!!!!
August 2, 2007 at 3:12 pm
I hate the gap because it looks generic. I could walk into any Macy’s and pick up John Ashford (the most basic store brand they carry) and have the same style and quality that gap clothing has, but instead of 40+ dollars for a shirt I’m looking at 9.99.
August 2, 2007 at 5:46 pm
I haven’t been in a GAP since I walked in..and right out of one in NYC last summer.
They have PILES of way too much “stuff” poorly displayed on tables. It’s a case of abundance being a very bad thing. ALL of it is wrinkled and much of it is poorly made.
August 2, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Five reasons I hate the Gap:
1. Size inconsistency. I’ve held up two of the same size of jeans and one will have a waistband 2″ larger than the other.
2. The stores are too hot (I’m in Texas). Crank up the a/c if you want me to shop longer and please make the dressing rooms at least 5 degrees cooler than the retail area.
3. Impossible to find an employee to help you once you hit the dressing room. Often all the salespeople are clustered at the registers, still working too slowly to make the lines go faster. I don’t want to have to get fully dressed to find a different size.
4. Cheaper and cheaper “finishing” on garments. Things like seams, hems and buttons used to be nicely done. No more. Everything’s hanging by a thread.
5. Same old/same old every season. Same tees, same ugly khakis, same too-small sweaters in dull colors.
One reason I keep going to Gap: The markdowns. It’s easy to find shirts that 3 weeks earlier were $48 and are now marked down to $5.99. Sometimes as low as $2.99. I wear these when I travel and discard them along the way. Sure lightens the luggage.
August 13, 2007 at 8:18 pm
[...] speaking Pepsi’s ads are weak. They have a similar problem to the issues going on in advertising over at The Gap. They haven’t quite figured out that celebrity isn’t everything. The brand and BBDO [...]
August 13, 2007 at 8:43 pm
[...] speaking Pepsi’s ads are weak. They have a similar problem to the issues going on in advertising by at The Gap. They haven’t quite figured out that celebrity isn’t everything. The type and BBDO plus [...]
August 23, 2007 at 6:36 pm
[...] We’re always a little wary when it comes to celebrities pushing for retail stores. It has never worked for The Gap, and we’re pretty sure it’s not going to light a fire under consumers to haul it to [...]
August 23, 2007 at 7:11 pm
[...] We’re always a little wary when it comes to celebrities pushing for retail stores. It has never worked for The Gap, and we’re pretty certain it’s not going to light a fire under consumers to haul it to [...]
August 25, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Oddly, the only one to profit from GAP’s ongoing exercises in self-righteous pomposity is Mr. Laird… who seems to have NEVER had an idea beyond just where– in consistently, classically un-hip photos– to place a client’s logo. But, as Ms. Karan’s long-standing darling, he envelopes himself in stylish robes of entitlement. The mystery of this man’s success continues…..
with the wildly “desperately and feloniously seeking fragrance”
spot for SJ Parker’s COVET perfume. Mr. Laird seems to be a man whose judgement and taste people feel bizarrely obligated listen to and respect. I’d say his biggest success is pulling off this gargantuan masquarade. So, as GAP sales continue to fall in the west like the setting sun, I say- keep up the good (self-serving) work, Mr. Laird– you’re just so tres, tres.
September 11, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Does anyone else remember where the NAME came from in the first place? The Gap, which opening in the late 60’s or early 70’s, referred to the generation gap! And it was a place to get really cool and really cheap jeans. Maybe they should try going back to where they began?