Gap's new tagline, introduced a few months back, is "Dress normal." But the retailer knows your family is anything but—particularly at the holidays.
Having launched the new positioning with David Fincher in August, Gap moves on to another Hollywood director—Sofia Coppola—for a stylish and quirky holiday campaign from Wieden + Kennedy in New York.
The four spots are endearingly weird, with storytelling that's more about momentary glimpses into the charms and foibles of family life than traditional plots. The first two, "Gauntlet" and "Mistletoe," are the strongest and will air on TV. The former shows a girl arriving home (in a crazy striped sweater) to a bustling house at Thanksgiving; the latter is about an awkward moment under the mistletoe.
Two others, "Crooner" and "Pinball," will run online. "Crooner" is the most staged of the bunch, with a little boy lip-syncing "Cry" by Johnnie Ray to his family. And "Pinball" is the romantic entry in the series, with a woman playing pinball in a restaurant as her boyfriend waits for her in a booth.
The ads close with the line, "You don't have to get them to give them Gap." That's a slanted and quite refreshingly take on the notion of holiday togetherness—love without understanding being, after all, a fairly accurate description of many people's holiday experiences with family.
It also highlights, maybe better than the Fincher ads did, just what the "Dress normal" idea is all about. It's not about being normal—it's about being yourself, which can be quite peculiar indeed. And Gap, in all its normcore glory, can be part of your personal style, particularly for millennials. Or least, this campaign tells gift givers, don't assume it can't be.
The rest of the job is just to make the ads as hip seeming as possible, and Coppola does a nice job with that. The music is a big part of it. "I Got Stripes" by Johnny Cash in the "Gauntlet" spot is just fantastic, and the "Mistletoe" and "Pinball" soundtracks are solid, too (featuring "I'm Not Ready for Love" by Promise and "Deep Down" by Hazel and the Jolly Boys).
There are print ads as well. Check them out below, along with statements from three Gap executives about the campaign.
Seth Farbman, Gap's global chief marketing officer:
"We wanted the campaign, and the films in particular, to focus on the best part of the season—family and friends. While the holidays look different in every home across the country, Sofia has brilliantly translated Gap's snapshots of these authentic family characters to the screen. Our aim was to create a campaign that would be very warm, very honest and very Gap. And even if you don't always get your family, our message this season is that it's easy to give them Gap."
Rebekka Bay, Gap creative director:
"Sofia is a great fashion icon and helped us bring our fashion themes to life alongside the storytelling of family fun for the festive season. The campaign celebrates our spirited and optimistic crazy stripe collection, along with candy-colored Fair Isle sweaters, cool biker jackets and a collection of party dresses. The Gap holiday collection is more giftable, more romantic, more optimistic, more fashionable and more Gap than ever."
Steve Sunnucks, Gap global president:
"In the fall, we started our 'Dress Normal' story with another great director, David Fincher, and issued a rallying cry to dress how you feel most comfortable, and 'Dress like no one's watching.' Now Sofia Coppola has helped us bring to life the second chapter of 'Dress Normal' through our holiday films with the same authentic and honest tone."
CREDITS
Client: Gap
—Spots: "Crooner," "Pinball," "Gauntlet," "Mistletoe"
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York
Executive Creative Directors: Susan Hoffman, David Kolbusz
Creative Directors: Stuart Jennings, Susan Hoffman
Copywriters ("Mistletoe," "Pinball," "Crooner"): Laddie Peterson, Al Merry
Copywriters ("Gauntlet"): Laddie Peterson, Al Merry, Heather Ryder
Art Directors ("Mistletoe," "Pinball" "Crooner"): Jaclyn Crowley, Jeff Dryer
Art Directors ("Gauntlet"): Jaclyn Crowley, Jeff Dryer, Morgan Sheehan
Head of Content Production: Nick Setounski
Producer: Alison Hill
Director of Brand Planning: Erik Hanson
Brand Planner: Hayley Parker
Director of Interactive Strategy: Marshall Ball
Interactive Strategist: Jordan Schenck
Account Team: Tamera Geddes, Molly Friedman, Patty Ehinger
Business Affairs: Lisa Quintela
Production Company: The Directors Bureau
Director: Sofia Coppola
Executive Producer, Managing Director: Lisa Margulis
Executive Producer, Head of Production: Elizabeth Minzes
Line Producer: Youree Henley
Director of Photography: Eric Gautier
Editing Company: Consulate
Editor: Chad Sipkin
Post Executive Producer: Alan Lopez
Editorial Assistants: Ryan McCally, Elizabeth Navarro
Visual Effects Company: The Mill
Lead Flame: Jamin Clutcher
Producer: Clairellen Wallin
Telecine Company: CO3
Colorists: Tom Poole, Stefan Soonenfeld
Mix Company: Sonic Union
Mixer: Steve Rosen
Music Supervision Company: Able Baker
Music: "Pinball"
Song: "Deep Down"
Artist: Hazel & the Jolly Boys
Music: "Crooner"
Song: "Cry"
Artist: Johnnie Ray
Music: "Mistletoe"
Song: "I'm Not Ready for Love"
Artist: By the Promise
Music: "Gauntlet"
Song: "I've Got Stripes"
Artist: Johnny Cash
—Print and OOH
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York
Executive Creative Directors: Susan Hoffman, David Kolbusz
Creative Directors: Stuart Jennings, Susan Hoffman
Copywriter: Laddie Peterson
Art Director: Jaclyn Crowley
Account Team: Tamera Geddes, Molly Friedman, Patty Ehinger
Project Manager: Kellie Pederson
Art Buyer: Molly Dowd
Photographer: Frederike Helwig
Business Affairs: Lisa Quintela
Director of Brand Strategy: Erik Hanson
Brand Strategist: Hayley Parker
Director of Interactive Strategy: Marshall Ball
Interactive Strategist: Jordan Schenck
Retouching Agency: 150Proof&Co
Retoucher: Chris McClelland