America’s denim divide, Katseye delivered a moment that’s as comfy as an old pair of jeans
Katseye and the Gap are giving us something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
In a new ad campaign, titled “Better in Denim,” Gap trades on a tried-and-true formula for the clothing company: a hit song, an infectious dance and blue jeans.
The spot feels tailor-made for the TikTok generation, featuring the global girl group Katseye, performing choreography by Robbie Blue to the 2003 Kelis song, “Milkshake.”
“This is denim as you define it. Your individuality. Your self-expression,” a description for the ad reads. “Your style. Powerful on your own. Even better together.”
The diversity, dancing and fashion has helped the ad go viral at a time when there’s been debate about how companies are relating to their customer base. Such was the case a few weeks ago, when American Eagle released a campaign with actress Sydney Sweeney in which puns about jeans and genes struck some as a reference to eugenics and sparked social grappling about cancel culture and what it means to be American.
What has America learned from the Sydney Sweeney situation? We asked the experts
Gap appears to have avoided controversy by sticking with an approach they have been using in similar ads for almost 30 years, many that have featured actors and artists - like Katseye - who are having a cultural moment.