According to Mashable, The Gap has given up on its new logo:
Gap has announced on its Facebook Page that it is scrapping its new logo design efforts, acquiescing to a torrent of criticism coming primarily from Facebook and Twitter users.Last week, Gap unveiled a new logo, one it called “a more contemporary, modern expression.” The retailer’s customers were not so thrilled about the change, and Gap decided to ask users for their logo design ideas instead. However, that course of action has now been reversed, as well.
Advertisement“Ok. We’ve heard loud and clear that you don’t like the new logo. We’ve learned a lot from the feedback,” the company said on its Facebook page. “We only want what’s best for the brand and our customers. So instead of crowdsourcing, we’re bringing back the Blue Box tonight.”
According to Gap, the original logo will make its return “across all channels.”
The logo looks exactly like it was created by designers obsessed with the one-size-fits-all look of Helvetica in the late 1960s; James Lileks created an amusing parody of it here.
On the other hand, to paraphrase Allahpundit’s response to The Simpson’s dark 1984/Metropolis parody in its opening yesterday, when’s the last time the Gap has gotten any buzz at all? Is bad news actually good news for the Gap, simply because it got people talking about its product?
Incidentally, between such Bobos in Paradise icons as The Gap, The Dems, Restoration Hardware and MSNBC (not to mention The One) all producing rather questionable branding campaigns in short succession, you really do get the sense the old order has officially run out of steam.
I am flummoxed how these chuckleheads think these falacious attcks will translate in votes? If anything it could cause them to lose votes.
Oops…wrong thread.
The scrubbed logo reminded me of the old GAF film logo and those commercials with Henry Fonda from the early 70s (which would also explain the design similarities — Helvetica should be used mainly on sports agate in newspapers and train station signs).