..in signature GAP
style – a few years too late.
Hello!
 |
| Original Source: Towleroad |
As a gay man, I know I should be overjoyed to see more and
more corporate brands placing ads that show their support for gay rights. And
this one, even with its simple subtlety, shouts it from the rooftop!
I’ve known that I was gay since I was 15, but I’ve known I
was a cynic longer. And as a cynic, I can’t shake the feeling that pro-gay ads
walk a fine line between support and pandering of the highest order.
Pro-Gay or Pro-Green?
We touched on it a bit back in March where we discussed Abercrombie’s
seemingly pro-gay ad (although not yet
deployed in any meaningful way).
You have to question the authenticity of brands just now making
it a point to promote alternative lifestyles within their advertisements –
especially fashion retailers who, if I may be real for just a minute, have already
been associated with the lifestyle for years!
There’s no denying Gap has had a lethargic go at it this millennium.
The brand has become a watered-down version of its former
self – unable to connect with consumers.
With their “BE ONE” campaign, the mall staple
is trying to recapture the sense of cool they owned in the 90s.
But there’s still something about it that seems disingenuous.
I mean, real pro-gay supporters were shouting it from the
rooftops before it was cool!
Gap’s endorsement feels lukewarm – like parents who took a lot
of time to warm up to the idea of their kid being gay, and even still today, would
prefer them not tell the neighbors.
Gay or Straight, what
do you think?
Will you be falling (back)
into the Gap anytime soon?
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