Old Navy’s Brand Revival Delivers 90s Nostalgia With a Modern Twist

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 30^th 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.

A turnaround story

Over the past 18 months, Gap Inc. has been focused on turning around its business and reviving its stable of brands–including Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic–under group CEO Richard Dickson, who joined the company in late 2023 from Mattel.

As part of that turnaround, earlier this year Gap Inc. appointed Zac Posen–a designer who has dressed the likes of Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rihanna–as evp and creative director of the brand portfolio and chief creative officer of Old Navy. 

Ghahraman joined Old Navy as CMO in September 2023. She previously worked at fashion brands including Gucci and Ralph Lauren. 

So far, the turnaround seems to be working. Across the business, Gap Inc.’s Q2 2024 net sales rose 5% year on year to $3.7 billion. Old Navy’s net sales during the quarter rose 8% to $2.1 billion, representing the fourth consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales at the brand. 

Peak 90s nostalgia

Like at the Gap, nostalgia has been a key part of Old Navy’s marketing strategy. While each brand has separate identities, Old Navy’s lean into 90s nostalgia is about “gaining more style credibility and bringing new audiences into [our] world,” Ghahraman explained. 

Gen Z, a demographic that has discovered and embraced 90s culture through social platforms like TikTok, is one of Old Navy’s target audiences. 

The 90s revival trend has inspired other brands, from Lipton Ice Tea to Planters, to take cues from the culture in their marketing campaigns and appeal to Gen Z.

While its throwback campaign marks the decade when it was born, Old Navy has also taken a modern approach, which it calls “nowstalgia.” This entails activating on digital channels and finding new partners like The Cut, Ghahraman said. 

The brand also aims to have multigenerational appeal and reconnect with people who grew up shopping with the retailer, she added. 

The 90s continues to inspire brands because it “represents an era that was one of both simplicity and optimism compared to where we are today,” Ghahraman said. “That’s something people are craving. It also had great fashion moments.”