Gap Logo

There was a new Gap logo, and it lasted 12 days.  I can’t help but wonder if people wouldn’t have gotten used to it if it had lasted longer.  After all, people hate change, especially drastic ones, until they’re used to it. Comments on the blog.learnvest.com webpage said two important things about the re-branding.  First, “Hello! New Coke!” Obviously some companies have made a logo switch that worked for its consumer base and it has stuck.  The other comment was, “that new logo is beyond ugly and feels very techy.” 

  As far as brand meaning, the original Gap logo felt a little country (with the connotations friendly and hardworking). It was the serif letters that gave it that feel.  The logo was only two colors but they were stylized and because the background was not black, it did not feel foreboding or standoffish.  It was also cheaper to print.

The new logo was a stark contrast, using a new color (Black), a completely different font (Helvetica) that was thick and round, with block shaped corners, and an inverted color scheme with enough white space to feel cold and distant.  The little square in the corner seems like a tacky add on, and tacky is not a word that any company wants added to their merchandise, especially if they’re trying to gain a wider customer base.

Obviously there was a huge hit and miss with the target audience, supposedly 20-30 year olds.  By looking at the new logo we see that it is actually very techy with its black and white, san-serif font.  It feels much more computerized, and we are the upcoming technological generation.  That part was dead on, but black and white can be cold, and the sharp edges made the signage uncomfortable.  While growing up with cell phones and social web networks does label the target audience as ‘techy’ this generation also has the mindset of doing what you love for a living over what makes the most money.  The new logo impressed every feeling other than Fun, which when shopping, is a key motivator.

The cost to Gap could have been amazing.  At a seasonal change clothing sales usually rise, but Gap instead took a 4% decline in sales.  As far as my research as shown me, the logo was only released on the web. If the logo was only released on web then the chain of expense wasn’t nearly as high as it could have been if they also had it printed on shopping bags, posters, signs, clothing tags, billboards, or in advertisements.  The new ‘old design’ is still changed, with all the mid lines on the G, A, and P meeting up on the same line.  This was by far the better way to revamp their old logo.