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Dust off those bucket hats, matching tracksuits, and Hanson CDs: the 90s are back. Old Navy is the latest brand to lean into this era as it celebrates its 30th anniversary and attempts to win over new and old fans.
The retailer, part of Gap Inc., is throwing back to its founding year of 1994 with a limited-edition product drop, campaign, and 90s-themed party at New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
The initiative is part of Old Navy’s efforts to reinvigorate the brand and “reassert ourselves into culture,” chief marketing officer Behnaz Ghahramani told ADWEEK.
The ’94 Reissue collection, launching on Sept. 13, revives some of Old Navy’s notable designs from its golden era, including baggy jeans and cargos, matching tracksuits, baby tees, bucket hats, and its Performance Fleece.
The brand’s “Once More ’94” campaign will run across stores, out-of-home sites in New York City, and digital and social media.
It has also produced a zine, which will be available in print and online. The zine’s art direction, photography, and color palette are inspired by 90s design, with content including quizzes, styling tips, and horoscopes.
On Monday during NYFW, Old Navy threw a 90s party at New York’s Webster Hall that showcased the special collection and featured performances by Ja Rule, En Vogue, and Hanson. The retailer co-hosted the event with Vox Media publication The Cut, which in its own throwback activation, recently issued its first print edition.
The Fashion Week party was about “bringing the fun and the joy, and also joining the conversation” in an industry that can be “quite serious,” said Ghahraman.
That fun spirit is partly how Old Navy describes its brand, which Ghahraman and her team have spent the past year defining as part of a marketing refresh.
“We’re a brand that invites everyone to come play with style. We’re about the democratization of style and fashion accessible for all,” she said. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously.”
Following a recent denim ad and a summer campaign starring actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Yara Shahidi, Old Navy’s 90s celebration is “an important step of bringing our brand purpose to life,” Ghahraman added.