mind the gap

Deciphering the Meaning of Gap’s New Logo

Attention everyone, for signs you’ve known and maybe loved for years and years are about to change: The Gap has a new logo. The company didn’t even welcome it with a launch party or anything — which is surprising since the fashion industry celebrates everything, and would probably view sewing a button on a pair of pants as a good reason to party. But the Gap just quietly switched from the old blue box to the new blue exo-box on its website.

So what does the new logo mean? Let’s check in with Brand Channel, which notes that the brand is doing okay now, but hasn’t been doing so hot since the mid-2000s:

But ditching the classic logo, recognized by everyone, in favor of whatever that new monstrosity is, demonstrates a prototypical brand panic move. With things not going in its favor, the brand decides to change the one valuable element it has going for it.

Ironically maybe, the new logo is perfect for the brand. It communicates exactly the values currently embodied by Gap: A sense of being lost and a lack of clear vision and creativity.

Or maybe with the new logo’s fuller shape the brand is just trying to demonstrate its embrace of curves in fashion.

Gap Rebrands Itself Into Oblivion [Brand Channel]

Deciphering the Meaning of Gap’s New Logo