Dive Brief:
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Gap Inc.’s Old Navy brand will feature comedian Amy Schumer in eight television spots and other marketing efforts, starting with the back-to-school season and possibly into spring, Ad Age reports.
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Schumer joins a roster of comedians pitching Old Navy apparel, including Elizabeth Banks, Amy Poehler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Fred Armisen, plus Armisen's “Portlandia” sidekick, Sleater-Kinney guitarist/performer Carrie Brownstein.
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Old Navy has tapped Chandelier Creative for the spots, is working with Awesomeness TV to promote viral sharing of videos and has created a fundraising campaign to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Boys & Girls Club of Canada.
Dive Insight:
Old Navy’s once-consistent support of its parent company—quarter after quarter of healthy sales as Gap and Banana Republic faltered—seemed to wane in recent months as that brand, too, saw inventories pile up.
But in June Old Navy seemed to make a comeback, and Gap is sticking with its recent approach of tapping comedians to get the attention it needs from young consumers. Schumer is a bold choice for Old Navy because, while she can be silly, she also has an edge—promoting ideas of feminism and body positivity through sometimes raunchy hijinks and graphic satirical commentary.
"[Amy] speaks to women and almost everyone in a very honest way, she is body proud—those are core values that we stand for," Liat Weingarten, senior director of Old Navy advertising, told Ad Age. "She's so honest and humble in a way that we think really resonates with our customer."
Gap Inc. reported Q1 same-store sales declines of 5% in May, compared to a 4% decrease in the year-ago quarter. By brand, Gap Q1 same-store sales fell 3% (compared to a 10% dip a year ago); Banana Republic plummeted 11% (compared to 8% last year); and Old Navy dropped 6% (compared to a 3% increase last year).