Ignoring TV is a strange choice for a big brand
If you have a big budget and are making long-form video ads, it makes little sense to leave the most effective medium out of the mix, as Gap has done by rejecting TV for its Christmas campaign.
By Mark Ritson
’Tis almost the season to be jolly. And with just seven weeks to go before Christmas the inevitable flood of festive advertising is starting to creep out.
Traditionally, Gap was always one of those perennial Christmas campaigns. An attractive bunch of multicultural dancers would adorn themselves with a rainbow of Gap’s winter clothing and dance to one festive jingle or another. And somewhere between a polo neck and tank top the American fashion brand would cement its place in many an Americans’ Christmas planning.
This year the fashion retailer has outdone itself with a splendidly emotional spot from New York agency Johannes Leonardo. A young boy and his mother trace the seasons with the help of an ancient Gap hoodie and a swelling orchestral soundtrack. There might not be anything new or particularly special about the minute-long spot, ‘Gift the Thought’, but the tinkling pianos and emotional pay-off are classic brand-building fare.
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