Gap’s Historical L
Fashion is a complex and time-consuming practice, where the spoils of success are reserved exclusively for those who are truly passionate about the culture. Fads, trends, societal statements, all of these are found in the popularly worn clothes of the era. A company that has truly sung for its supper, in terms of staying around for decades, is Gap. Coming from us, we respect Gap’s ability to stay relevant for as long as they have, finding humble beginnings in the massive year of 1969. If you were a fan of Even Stevens growing up, or you’re a history buff, you’d know that 1969 is also the same year man finally went to the moon. In order to assert that they were also a big part of the historical year (which is arguable), as part of their new campaign, Gap put their logo up against a rocket ship heading into the unknowns of space. The problem (besides Gap saying they are as relevant as the moon landing)? It’s not the right rocket ship.
Hi @gap. We're going to need to talk about this ad. Y'all know that the space shuttle didn't fly until 1981, right? pic.twitter.com/iTHBHPuwTx
— Miriam Kramer (@mirikramer) May 6, 2016
@mirikramer @joelhousman omfg here u go @gap pic.twitter.com/SURHVt37bQ
— darth™ (@darth) May 6, 2016
This certainly blew up a bit in the Twitter-verse, and probably got Gap thinking about hiring a resident historian for the rest of their retro-campaign ad endeavors. Naturally, Gap responded with the only possible cover-up imaginable: claiming the rocket was more of a metaphor for their brand rather than a direct comparison to the historic moon landing event. It’s okay, Gap, everyone has a few gaps here and there in their random trivia knowledge.
@mirikramer 1969 is included in most of our ad pics. Its the year we opened, not meant to be the shuttle launch date. Sorry for confusion.
— Gap (@Gap) May 6, 2016