Analyzing Gap's logo redesign (and reversion to the original) reminded me of this particular ad of theirs. This is from their 2005 favorite songs, favorite jeans campaign. I love the juxtaposition of images / video in this. It utilizes the power of images, accompanied by powerful music. Music is an appealing feature in advertising because it sounds nice to the audience’s ears, and it communicates the message in a fun, creative way. It has great design, and is a well-made video.
The aspect of design that stood out the most to me was the contrast of black-and-white and color. When the musicians are speaking, they are shown in black-and-white on one half of the screen, while a close up of someone wearing jeans is shown in color on the other half. Although the viewer is intrigued by the famous singer, their eye is also drawn to the pair of jeans because it stands out in color. The contrast between the grayscale celebrities and the color images of jeans also exemplifies the play on words of the celebrities’ statements. Although their statements generally seem to apply to either a favorite song or a favorite pair of jeans, you know they are speaking of their favorite song. However, seeing a close-up of jeans on half of the screen makes you apply their statements to a favorite pair of jeans as well, and makes you realize the similarities in the two. Another aspect of the design of this Gap commercial is the background for both the celebrities and the jeans. They are both very simple: a plain gray background. I think the plain background is intended to direct all attention to the subjects. It is signifying that nothing else is important besides what is being said or sung, and the double-meaning of the jeans being similar to a favorite song. It is successful because it is a very creative message conveyed in a very artistic and intriguing way.
Well done, Gap… if only you kept this aesthetic design model in mind when creating a new logo.
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