29 September 2024
Over the last couple weeks, GAP’s #GetLoose video campaign, featuring Troye Sivan and a lot of denim, has taken off and providable a valuable playbook for brands.
With memorable choreography underscored by Thundercat's infectious “Funny Thing,” GAP has continued to demonstrate their ability to not only show off the utility and style of their clothes, but affirm that the GAP is now a cool brand that is tapped into the culture.
From the jump, the creative team made a great move featuring Troye Sivan, who has a strong, consistent connection with audiences on social platforms. An artist like Troye, who not only touches the music, dance, and TV/film communities, makes a clear impact in Gen-Z audiences, and is going to get eyes on an ad even if it’s just dancing in an ensemble.
With that said, one of the key points one can use to evaluate an artist’s brand partnership value potential goes back to the old adage that you’re judged by the company you keep. An artist may be relatively niche, but if they’re backed by and bring in the fanbases of other artists, that is a major value add. Well… Troye Sivan is currently co-headlining a tour with Charlie XCX, and if the queen of Gen-Z marketing is besties with someone, it’s a good sign.
Though I say all of this with the caveat that even without a big artist partnership, this is a great ad.
Today, many brands chose to create ads that are either highly stylized, abstract, or over the top, and while this of course can produce some awesome campaigns, there is coolness in simplicity. GAP’s ad with Troye, similar to their project with Tyla earlier this year, simply utilizes dance to show the utility and style of their clothes. These campaigns, supported by trending songs, now have millions of hits and thousands of TikTokers recreating the videos and running to Gap stores.
Utilizing an undeniably groovy song that has long been popular across platforms (especially TikTok) by an artist like Thundercat (who fans and people tapped into the music industry love), was a choice which also definitely set this ad up for success. It’s an infectious sound that sticks with you and allows for easy replayability and trend-potential. And, it goes without saying that epic, memorable, and unique choreography by Sergio Reis created something that audiences would see and instantly want to learn, engage with, and share.
Of course, the styling of the outfits also directly reflects some genuine Gen-Z fashion trends, creating a sense of relatability and desirability for those watching. I myself even thought about heading to the nearest GAP to try and recreate the look.
To sum it up, in the #GetLoose campaign, GAP showed the utility and style of their clothes while showing they are a brand that is undeniably tapped into the culture. With this, the ad would likely work the same if instead of clothes, one wanted to market something like a speaker or headphones. So, take notes.