Okay, it may not be the same uproar that accompanied new Coke or even the rebranding of Tropicana, but there are people clearly unhappy with The Gap's new logo.
New logo, you ask? Yes, this week the retailer quietly
added a new logo with upper and lower case letters and a gradiated blue box
to the top right of the "p" in
Gap to replace the iconic original that included all caps in white against
a solid blue box.
According to Advertising Age, negative posts are expanding across the internet. A satirical Twitter account has popped up and the negative Tweets are flying fast and furious. One poster tweeted, "I made the new Gap logo. Y'know...five minutes, basic Word font, random blue square for a nice finishing touch..." Another reads, "Why are you picking on me? Have you (expletive)ers seen that new iTunes 10 icon?"
While there are plenty of negative reactions, there are positive ones, also. Brian Sozzi, an analyst with Wall Street Securities, wrote in a research note, "Gap brand's logo change is a bold move by management, no doubt about it. But, it's something that is necessary to align management's vision (to promote a cooler brand) with store presentation (signage, marketing, merchandise)."
Marka Hansen, president, Gap North America, explained the logo change in a piece on the Huffington Post, calling it part of the brand's evolution in recent years that has included the 1969 premium denim line, new black pants, and remodeling to modernize stores. "Our brand and our clothes are changing and rethinking our logo is part of aligning with that," Ms. Hansen wrote.
Having put the logo out there for comment, Gap appears to have changed course (whether planned or not is open to debate) and now says it is part of a crowdsourcing project. A post on the company's Facebook page reads, "We've had the same logo for 20+ years, and this is just one of the things we're changing. We know this logo created a lot of buzz and we're thrilled to see passionate debates unfolding! So much so we're asking you to share your designs. We love our version, but we'd like to... see other ideas. Stay tuned for details in the next few days on this crowd sourcing project."
Discussion Question: What do you make of Gap's new logo and its response to the criticism surrounding it?