New York, July 16: Madonna will be the new face for
Gap's fall multimillion dollar ad campaign.
Gap spokeswoman Claudia Hawkins would give few details
on the campaign, set to break July 28, other than to say the
campaign also features rap star Missy Elliott.
Over the past several years, gap has enlisted a
diverse group of celebrities for its advertising, including
actors Christina Ricci, Anjelica Huston and Dennis Hopper.
But experts believe signing the pop icon is the biggest coup
yet for the retailer, which needs additional buzz to continue
its turnaround.
"This is the coolest idea. Madonna has kept her image
fresh," said Mike Toth, president and chief creative director
for Toth brand imaging, a brand and advertising company with
offices in New York and concord, Massachusetts.
Toth said the pop icon will resonate well with the
group that the chain wants to bring back to the stores -
shoppers in their 30s and early 40s.
Madonna hasn't done a lot of commercials for products,
though she endorsed Pepsi several years ago, said her
publicist Liz Rosenberg.
And why Gap? "Why not Gap?" Rosenberg asked, noting
that Madonna wears the clothes.
Madonna is also set to do some tie-ins with gap to
promote her children's book, "The English Roses," due out
Sept.15. Rosenberg declined to offer details.
After two years of disappointing sales, gap started
seeing business bounce back last fall with a return to the
more basic fashions that fueled the company's expansion
during the 1990s.
Bureau Report
