GAP Campaign Challenges What it Means to Dress Normal
Gap, the iconic American clothing brand, today revealed the first chapter of its new fall campaign which celebrates the individuality and authenticity of personal style by questioning what it means to Dress Normal.
Launching fully on September 2 across multiple global vehicles, the campaign is rooted in the same core values the brand has unapologetically stood for over the past 45 years – individualism and the liberation that comes from confidently being your most authentic self. Dress Normal boldly instructs individuals to shape their own authentic, personal style – and intentionally challenges every one of us to dress for ourselves.
“Finding your own version of ‘dress normal’ is an art – my normal is different from your normal, and that’s the essence of the campaign,” said Seth Farbman, Gap Global Chief Marketing Officer. “This fall, Gap celebrates dressing for yourself and finding those perfect items – a pair of jeans, a t-shirt – that make you feel confident to be your most authentic self.”
The campaign features photography of recognizable people who are known for their own art of dressing normal, starting with Anjelica Huston, The Royal Tenenbaums; Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men; Michael K. Williams, Boardwalk Empire; Jena Malone, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; and Zosia Mamet, Girls. Additional celebrity names will be released ahead of the September launch. Gap will also be returning to television as part of the campaign, with further details to be revealed in the coming weeks.
The print ads – which launch this month across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan, as well as select international franchise markets – bring unexpected moments and storytelling with taglines that challenge people to ‘dress like no one’s watching’ and ‘let your actions speak louder than your clothes.’
“We were inspired by the bold and honest spirit of the millennial generation; their authenticity is what makes them stand apart in today’s complex world,” said Stephen Sunnucks, Gap Global President. “Gap has always stood for individuality and being your most authentic self. By challenging the idea of what it means to dress normal, we hope to inspire confidence in everyone’s own personal style.”
The fall campaign marks the first creative execution of Dress Normal which begins its story with a classic Gap item and one of the coming season’s biggest trends – black denim – and season after season the narrative will shift to other iconic Gap staples. The concept was developed in partnership with Wieden + Kennedy New York, known for bringing to life brands like Nike, Coca Cola, and Old Spice through provocative storytelling.
In addition to print, the campaign spans outdoor, mobile, direct, social, in store and digital. Gap has also enhanced its Styld.by platform with amplified digital and video content and a broader range of creative influencers, including popular bloggers, style experts, musicians, photographers, filmmakers and artists to curate the best fall looks and illustrate their version of Dress Normal. In mid-September, the brand will launch an experiential element to the campaign – the Dress Normal Project – which brings to life what dressing normal means through the lens of consumers across North America.
