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Retailer Gap continues to lean into nostalgia to revive its marketing, with a collaboration with London-based skateboarding and clothing label Palace that celebrates 1990s style and skate culture.
The two brands, both synonymous with certain facets of 90s style, will launch the Palace Gap collection Friday (March 22). The 55-piece collection of adult and children’s clothing features a merged logo representing both brands. It is also Palace’s first foray into kids’ clothing.
The accompanying campaign features a 90-second spot that pays tribute to San Francisco, where Gap was founded. The film follows a group of young skaters exploring the city, making comical, nostalgia-tinged observations about life.
Rife with nods to 90s culture, there are appearances from former Spice Girls Sporty Spice and Melanie C, as well as skate legends including Karl Watson, Elissa Steamer and Tommy Guerrero. Will Robson-Scott directed the commercial, and Jim Goldberg was the photographer.
The dream of the 90s is alive
“Collaborating with Gap made sense because a lot of us grew up skating in Gap gear in the 1990s,” Palace founder Lev Tanju said in a statement. “Gap is so cool to us: clean, preppy and all about the good American things, like everyone being welcome. Gap put out so much iconic content in the era before it was called content, and it’s been a real privilege for us to play in that space with them.”
This campaign continues Gap’s brand revamp under recently appointed CEO Richard Dickson. After years of sluggish sales, the company’s marketing push has been both modern and nostalgic, with nods to the aesthetics of its heyday in the late 90s and early 2000s.
The brand has also leaned into visually arresting imagery and unexpected partnerships, such as its last campaign featuring South African Grammy Award-winning artist Tyla.
“We love collaborating with partners like Palace who are able to tap into our heritage and reinvent our product icons in a way that is true to their brand DNA,” Mark Breitbard, president and CEO of Gap, said in a statement. “Palace is playing by their own rules, and we are inspired by their craft.”