Gap

Gap Leverages TikTok Fame to Promote Famous Brown Logo Hoodie

Gap Just Proved That TikTok Has Serious Style Influence

July 28, 2021

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When it comes to social media marketing, the focus is almost always on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, but it turns out we've all been sleeping on perhaps the single most influential social network: TikTok.

Case in point: a handful of viral TikTok videos and a single hashtag – #GapHoodie – just caused one of the biggest fashion retailers in the world to re-release a beloved hoodie.

It all started earlier this year, when some Gen-Z TikTokers started sharing videos while wearing Gap's iconic logo hoodie, which has been around for almost three decades. It became a meme: wear the same or similar Gap sweatshirt in every video. But then TikTok superstar Barbara Kristoffersen upped the ante by donning a special Gap hoodie in brown not seen since the early 2000s and garnered more than 2 million views. The hashtag #GapHoodie is closing in on 7 million – and Gap took notice.

@barbarakristoffersen
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♬ Ski Mask The Slump God – Foot Fungus - Kiersten

As of two days ago, Gap's iconic Brown Logo Hoodie is available for $59.95 at Gap.com. This is a very big deal, for Gap and for the Internet. First, it lends the brand some serious street cred, especially with the voted younger demographic. But the bigger picture is for Internet marketing more generally: does this mean TikTok can start to threaten the established players (YouTube, Facebook and Instagram) for marketing? If so, it's only a matter of time before advertisers redirect their focus.

And as this relationship proves, the relationship is reciprocal: advertisers will not only seek to influence trends by spending money on ad space, but they'll also allow themselves to be influenced by what content and styles are taking over each platform.

For our part, we're not in the least upset that the Internet just resurrected an iconic hoodie, decades-old hoodie. In fact, we hope that trend continues, and we see still more beloved '90s and early '00s style and fashion trends make comebacks.

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