the old old navy logo and the new one
after naming todd oldham creative director a few months back, i’ve been wondering what changes were afoot at old navy. the retailer, who had long been known for fast fashion and cheap basics, was now being beat out by stores such as forever 21, topshop and H&M. so starting with spring 2008, ON is revealing a new strategy, one that starts at the logo.
they are also looking to be more fashion forward and 20-something friendly, tough to do in this internet age where younger shoppers have constant access to celebs and knowing what they are wearing. this strategy could also alienate plus sized and maternity shoppers, who have come to shop here because they carry those sizes in styles that are modern and hip. another concern is turning away those who rely on old navy for basics, although president dawn robertson said in an interview with wwd, “…we continue to understand we [must] have basics.”
starting in february, collections at old navy will rotate monthly, with the first theme being “urban safari.” march will be palm beach inspired and have alot of white. april will have a surf theme, may is tropical and june’s theme will tie in with old navy’s sponsorship of the mtv movie awards (so think glitz and glam).
in addition to changing the merchandise, store redesigns are being tested in several locations, and a new integrated marketing campaign is being launched including tv spots that have a “serial” feel. part of the campaign is an interactive component that has cast member profiles, downloadable music and a lookbook.
i wish i could be more excited about this, but i’m not. it seems old navy is not following the road less traveled but following behind the very stores they are trying to differentiate themselves from. sitelets and the like? H&M and topshop both do podcasts and have very interactive shopping experiences. i’ll reserve final judgement for when merchandise starts hitting stores, but what i’m really amped for is seeing more of todd oldham’s influences, which the retailer said won’t happen until september. hopefully by then, old navy won’t be in a do-or-die situation.
pics from wwd
