In Influencer Marketing: Coach casts Lil Nas X in its anti-AI campaign called #CourageToBeReal alongside top social media creators.

In Special Projects: Small the Agency launches their campaign “Assume I can, so I will” for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation for Down Syndrome Awareness day, thoughtfully conveying the message that for the differently abled, limitations are often a symptom of pre-conceived notions of what they can and can’t do. Both powerful and humorous, the ad has garned millions of views on social media, and has gone viral across platforms. A masterclass in leveraging insights and precise messaging.

Watch the spot here!

Claiming it: How GAP geniously centered its product claims with smart and aligned creative, collaboration, and casting

Prior to hiring Leo Burnett as the Agency of Record in 2002, Gap Inc. had been creating all of their iconic advertisements in-house with Jim Nevins at the helm. During his tenure, Gap had iconic TV spots that put their clothing front and center, with the occasional celebrity campaign.

Jim Nevins’ work at the Gap was a masterclass in tailoring the creative for the channel. More often than not, a Gap TV spot was lively and immediately striking. As a brand, you only have 30 seconds to make an impression. A quick super at the beginning of the commercial ensures that you land your message before the viewer can even think of changing the channel.

Over the years and changing hands at the Gap marketing department, evolution in the creative has been inevitable and with varying levels of success. For years, Gap had not presented anything new and this had an effect financially as Gap clocked in at a 15% loss of annual revenue in 2023.

In the middle of 2023, Gap named Richard Dickson who was responsible for Barbie’s resurgence during his tenure at Mattel as its new CEO. To turn things around, Richard’s idea was to leverage the nostalgia for the advertisement from Gap’s heyday and make it digital first. To launch their spring 24 campaign “Linen moves”, Gap enlists two collaborators – first, English group Jungle, whose songs and music videos are akin to the original Gap energy, and Tyla, a Grammy-winning South African singer who rose to fame on TikTok with her song, Water…you must know the one, unless you’ve been truly unplugged from the internet the last year.

Seemingly a match made in normcore heaven, Jungle’s music videos had always placed dancers and dancing at the fore, dressed very simply and letting the moves do the talking. Here, Gap asks Jungle to make their linen collection, centering on breathability through flattering tailoring, to be part of the conversation. To add some sensuality and TikTok readiness to the campaign, choosing Tyla was a no-brainer – creating much-needed dimension for the basics brand.

To maximize the campaign online, an extensive behind-the-scenes look has been featured on TikTok and Instagram garnering more than 30 million views since its launch less than a month ago. They paired that with the extension of the claims: linen, breathability, movement, and flattering tailoring, through moving thumbnails for the product SKUs on their website. While the financial results remain to be seen, the campaign was a talkable moment for Gap on its journey to renew itself as an advertising powerhouse and household name.

The Takeaways

• Think about your brands history, what can you pull from the past while still innovating for the future?

• Think about the times, who is relevant in media and culture, can their talents and presence merge with your campaign in an authentic way?

• How can your campaign live on multiple mediums while telling a consistent story and emphasizing your product claims to express proof of concept?

SCHEMA is a Brand Marketing & Creative Agency for brands that want to create impact through creativity, community, and culture. To say hello or work with us, send us a message here. Follow our IG here, and our Tik Tok here. Have a good one!