Howard Davidson from Arlington Massachusetts is marketing guy who helps brands connect with target audiences. Howard Davidson writes about about advertising, social media and marketing with a touch of sarcasm, including how the Gap just wants you to ‘Dress Normal’. www.howardjdavidson.com

1. The Gap Just Wants You to
‘Dress Normal’
by
Howard Davidson, Arlington, MA
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA

2. The Gap is encouraging consumers to
simply ‘Dress Normal.’ Their new ads
are anything but.
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA

3. ‘Dress Normal.’ That’s the new slogan for
The Gap, in what seems like a terribly
misguided attempt to fend off the brand’s
public perception of blandness. Wieden &
Kennedy is responsible for the new
campaign, and creative director Stuart
Jennings addresses this perception by
saying that ‘Dress Normal’ deals with “the
issue of Gap feeling a little bland.”
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA

4. Here we have the creative director of the
agency that created the spots acknowledging
that the Gap brand is perceived to be boring.
I’m not sure ‘Dress Normal’ is the best
catchphrase to fend off this perception. In
fact, it seems to confirm everything I already
feel about Gap: Their clothes are bland, and
this slogan feels like they’re assuring me that
nothing has changed.
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA

5. But let’s get to the spots behind the slogan.
Directed by David Fincher, one would expect
the ads to be far better than they are. Each
of the four ads is exceedingly bizarre, in what
is assuredly some attempt at irony. ‘Dress
Normal,’ says The Gap, while inviting you to
view their snobby faux-artsy TV spots. Each
ad has its issues, including one in which
almost nothing happens. I swear, the script
could have just read, “Man runs up stairs.
Woman watches.”
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA

6. Another makes no sense whatsoever. A
soaking-wet woman is riding in a car with
three completely dry people. She removes
her jeans and throws them in the front seat
as the words “the uniform of rebellion and
conformity” grace the screen. This is one of
those attempts at being trendy that ends up
being needlessly obtuse. The ad makes no
sense, and the slogan makes even less sense
than the ad.
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA

7. Here’s another reason that this campaign is
on my nerves: I have never seen more
yawn-inducing clothes in my life. It’s a
wonder they bothered to shoot the ads in
black and white, seeing as I’m not sure
other colors are at play here in the first
place. The people in these ads pretty much
all wear white shirts and black pants. It’s
like they’re living in The Matrix, but
couldn’t afford a Keanu Reeves cameo.
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA

8. One of the additional taglines for the
campaign is “Black is a color.” How any
of this fights the perception of The Gap
being bland is beyond me.
Howard Davidson Arlington MA
Slide By :- Howard Davidson Arlington MA