Music has become Gap’s main ally in renewing the brand and connecting it with new generations of consumers. This has been demonstrated over the last few months with campaigns that have put emerging artists, such as the girl band international Katseye or Sienna Spiro, at the center of his narrative. The fashion brand expands its proposal by collaborating with Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko to promote its spring collection.
Gap has transformed its campaign into an original music video for the artist, turning the song “Wassup” into the soundtrack of GapSweats, the brand’s sportswear line. Thus, it has launched “Sweats like this”, an advertisement that functions as a music video and celebrates the intersection of music, culture and style.
The piece was directed by Bethany Vargas and filmed by Olivia Malone, with choreography by Zoi Tatopoulos. It has also had styling by Caroline Newell and fashion and image advisor Alastair McKimm. The song has been revamped to include signature dance moments led by an ensemble of 26 dancers against minimalist backgrounds. As the brand explains in a statement, the music video reinvents GapSweats as a canvas for creativity and self-expression, with a monochromatic look designed exclusively for each dancer.
Specifically, Young Miko sports GapSweats Heavyweight and Extra Heavyweight, including the iconic Gap logo hoodie and a custom cropped style. The dancers wear a wide range of clothing, from baggy pants to shorts, T-shirts and sweatshirts, showcasing the collection’s breadth of style possibilities.
“Gap has a long history of collaborating with artists who define culture, not only through their work, but also through the way they connect with the public.“commented Mark Breitbard, President and CEO of Gap. “Young Miko represents more than a moment; It speaks to a generation and is shaping the future. He helped us create a visual extension of his music, positioning GapSweats as a canvas for creativity and self-expression: fashion as entertainment”.
With this collaboration, Gap takes advantage of the favorable moment that Latin music is going through, driven in part by the performance of Bad Bunny, also Puerto Rican, at the Super Bowl halftime show last February. What’s more, the brand assures that the campaign is “designed to motivate fans through the unifying cultural power of Latin music.”
Gap explains that the collaboration with Young Miko brings authenticity, trust and connection. “‘Sweats like this’ comes at a defining moment for Latin music, a genre that has long shaped global culture and the way people dress, dance and express themselves across generations.“; commented Fabiola Torres, Marketing Director at Gap. “Music creates unity: it transcends language, awakens joy and unites people. That shared energy is the essence of this campaign”.
“Sweats like this” is executed globally on social networks, digital platforms, points of sale, email marketing actions, collaboration with influencers and content creators, and outdoor advertising in New York (United States) and San Juan (Puerto Rico).
The campaign reinforces Gap’s growing ambitions in the field of “fashiontainment”, the intersection between fashion and entertainment. It should be remembered that last January, the company hired Pam Kaufman, previously at Paramount, as its first Director of Entertainment.
And music is playing a fundamental role in the development of the brand in this sense. Proof of this will be the presence, for the first time, of Gap at the Coachella festival next April.
