retail

Old Navy Goofs On That Guy's Clothes

SuparTool_Print

In a step away from most retail advertising, the Gap's Old Navy division is uncorking two viral videos that don't promote Old Navy clothes at all -- they just make fun of other people.

Tagged "Dress like a guy. Not that guy," the spots are aimed at married men 25-35 with kids -- spoofing fashion ads in general, and certain guys in particular. The first, called "SuparTool," spoofs the over-the-top high-fashion-genre, complete with too many torsos, men in masquerade masks, and a desolate little lamb who would rather be somewhere else. A second asks: "Are you a Corporado man?," as we see a guy in too-snug khakis tame a rattlesnake with a whip while answering his pager.

"The goal of the campaign to is to ignite a humorous conversation with our target customer about fashion and style today," Old Navy spokesperson Catherine Rhoades told Marketing Daily. "The videos are meant to capture his attention with the fun and humor that's at the heart of the Old Navy brand, and then point him to the products we can offer that can help him stay current without looking like he's trying too hard." Guys can view these products both on Old Navy's Men's Facebook tab and within the retailer's mobile experience -- both created specifically for this campaign, she said.

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The videos will be available through YouTube, Facebook, interactive ads and the mobile site. A print version, which actually does show off some of Old Navy's clothes, is slated for Maxim.

Back in February, Old Navy replaced its SuperModelquins campaign with a spring effort called "Old Navy Records: Original hits. Original styles," which combined fashion with pop music.

Like the flagship Gap brand, Old Navy has had plenty of rough sailing lately, with its comparable-store sales down 3% in the first quarter of the fiscal year, and down again 4% in May. "Although traffic is still a challenge," Rhoades said, "our new platform is designed to drive more loyalty, promote the surprising quality of our product and then get the right blend on price. Initiatives like this campaign for men boost our overall strategy, and speak to our target customer in a way that's designed to get him to come in and 'buy.'"

Separately, Gap announced it would introduce a new collection created for Gap by Diane von Furstenberg this March. The San Francisco-based company says it expects the line to be available in almost 30 countries, as well as online.

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