Milkshake on my mind
Why is everyone obsessed with the latest Gap ad?
I have some thoughts.
The ad dropped last Tuesday and the thing that first grabbed my attention was the catchy tempo of Milkshake (originally by Kelis, but this time covered by K-pop girl group KATSEYE), accompanied by Robbie Blue’s brilliant staccato choreography.
It felt like a return to ye olde Y2K Gap campaigns and I guess the timing of a feelgood Gap denim throwback chimed against the controversial American Eagle ad featuring a republican-voting sneery-looking Sydney Sweeney, who may or may not have been asserting that her ‘good jeans’ were really ‘good genes’. Whether or not American Eagle deliberately created a white supremacy ad (it seems a stretch to me), the Internet decided that was so.
Of course, both campaigns were planned months in advance, so you can’t really claim that Gap’s ad was a reaction to American Eagle. But they’ve smartly run with the moment and are pumping out endless iterations of behind-the-scenes content, each one begging for a social media share just for the sheer energy, joy, and nostalgic vibes it conveys. According to Business Insider, the Instagram engagement on Gap’s video post was miles ahead of American Eagle’s as of Friday afternoon, with 2.01 million total interactions.
A little-known but significant extra factoid: Gap used to print playlists of its in-store music. Curated playlists long before that was a thing. Michael Bise, aka @gapplaylists on Instagram is something of an authority on the subject (and is still trying to complete his playlist collection btw). “While (deservedly) being a Millennial touchstone from the early 2000s, “Milkshake” has not previously experienced such a huge resurgence. It’s instantly familiar, but not tired. Hearing it in the new Gap campaign invokes the feeling of rediscovering an old favourite, without becoming “You, again?“” he told me in a DM. “With its tailor-made-for-TikTok rhythm and cadence, “Milkshake” just might be what finally bonds Gen Z and Millennials with this ad.”
Oh, I forgot to mention the clothes! The campaign heroes low-rise denim, currently enjoying a resurgence by Gen Z, and a reminder that denim is where it all began for Gap. “The rhythmic movements by KATSEYE are captivating, but you never lose sight of their double-denim outfits,” concludes Bise. “I especially love the scene-stealing pleated denim skirt and look for its fun twirls in each edit of the campaign. There’s no mistaking this ad for any other brand: this is clearly and uniquely Gap.”
Watch Gap ‘Better In Denim’ here*.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: Gap denim featuring KATSEYE
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
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