The brand, which has been showing signs of recovering this year, is launching a denim campaign Wednesday, attempting to exert the kind of authority in the category it had decades ago.
The fall campaign, titled “Get Loose,” features Grammy-nominated global pop star Sivan and the dance group CDK Company, with direction and choreography by Sergio Reis. Set to Thundercat’s viral hit “Funny Thing,” the film, shot by Dan Martensen in a warehouse, reunites Sivan and Reis, who teamed on projects before. The choreography is spirited with dancers in baggy and loose-fitting denim . The fall campaign cuts across digital media, out-of-home, video, social and Gap brand channels.
“It’s time to get loose with the brand. So we are excited for baggy jeans, looser jeans, looser-fitting wider legs, barrel and horseshoe jeans,” said Mark Breitbard, president and chief executive officer of Gap. “It’s a matter of continuing to reinvigorate the brand with storytelling and big ideas.”
Breitbard said the trend for baggy jeans has been building over the last six to nine months. “When you look at our site, the search for baggy jeans is way up, and we’re doing quite well with the looser shapes.”
The bigger picture at Gap is about “putting fun, confident, bold points of view back into the brand as we are on a reinvigoration journey here,” Breitbard said. That bolder approach started with Gap’s spring 2024 “Linen Moves” campaign launched late last February. It featured South African singer Tyla.
Asked why Sivan was tapped for the “Get Loose” campaign, Breitbard said, “We always want originals who are doing incredible things creatively. He sold out his tour in Europe and he has a U.S. tour this fall with Charli XCX. Troye is a known talent to some, an emerging talent to others. He is a rising star. We like catching these people as they are rising talents. We think he embodies this self-expression and creativity that is central to Gap. It’s just the way he moves in these baggy jeans.”
Born in South Africa and raised in Australia, Sivan is known for blending electro pop and smooth melodies. “Being part of the Gap campaign and wearing their denim feels like a perfect fit. Dance has become a staple in my life, giving me confidence and a sense of timeless cool,” Sivan said in a statement.
While Sivan is 29 and looks younger than that, Breitbard said Gap campaigns are designed to have a broad appeal that works at different levels. “Some people know who the choreographer, some know Troye, some know the dance troupe, and some just see a looser jean trend and that appeals to them. But it’s really entertainment and you don’t have to know details for it to be accessible,” Breitbard said.
Dance has been a recurring element in Gap campaigns. “In video, we have a heritage of dance. We have a heritage of music, and we have a heritage of individuals and originals. I don’t think we are wedded to just one way of doing it. We believe fashion is entertainment and about keeping it new, and the ‘Get Loose’ campaign really lent itself to dance. We think it’s really on brand and celebrating the DNA of Gap.”
Asked how much of Gap’s business is in denim, Breitbard replied, “Denim is absolutely mission critical It’s central to the brand. Denim is in our DNA.…We want to have style, quality, operational excellence in all forms of denim. We have a broad assortment, through kids, baby, all the way up into the adult part of the business. We’ve got 19 fits. We’ve got some slightly heavier weight. We’ve got an ultra soft, baggy jean that has some stretch. It’s just so comfortable. We have pull-on versions.”
Breitbard said Gap’s denim business has been “running positive,” and he noted that a new jeans fit guide is being launched online this fall. “We’ve been building assortment, building the service level. Denim is growing as a percent of business,” Breitbard said, without specifying. “Whether it’s chambray or denim shirts, jackets, outerwear, jeans — all of it is important.”
Asked what’s happening with Gap’s in-store denim shops, Breitbard said, “We’re continuing to pull together denim. We’ve tried different approaches. It’s an evolution. This fall, we’ve pulled together a denim shop that we think is easy to shop.”
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