• by Sarah Mahoney , August 13, 2008

Gap, which has seen sales declines at its flagship brand for several years, is hoping its fall marketing campaign can reverse the trend. The ads, featuring the first full collection by Patrick Robinson, Gap's head designer, rely on portraits of a quirky list of celebrities.

Among this year's faces are Liv Tyler, Ginnifer Goodwin, Hugh Dancy, and Sean Avery--a group that is considerably less recognizable than celebs Gap has used in the past. (Last year, for example, its campaign starred John Mayer, Forest Whitaker, Sarah Silverman, Lucy Liu, and Selma Blair.)

The photographs were shot by fashion photographer Mikael Jansson, and show key fashion pieces. Themed "'Create Your Own Gap," the ads are intended to inspire people to mix and match in new ways, the company says--and "it speaks very directly to the ideas of self-expression and individuality."

Gap is highlighting what it believes will be the season's key pieces, including the boyfriend cardigan, oxford shirts, low-rise bell bottoms, deep V-necks, leather jackets, and trousers, as well as trench coats, blazers and bomber jacket.

Ads, via Laird + Partners, are scheduled to run in the September and October issues of such magazines as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and InStyle, as well as The New York Times and the New York Post. They'll also appear on billboards, bus shelters and online.

Gap, which has made a series of key management changes in recent months, is still feeling more pain than many retailers. While most stores have been posting lower comparable-store sales due to a softening economy, Gap's declines have been deeper and more persistent, with sales steadily declining for four years. Last week, it reported that for the month of July, sales at its Gap stores fell 6%.