New GAP Logo Debate – Successful Internet Marketing Strategy?

Whether you love it, hate it or don’t care, you are going to hear about it

old GAP logo vs. new GAP logo

Last week GAP quietly unveiled a redesigned logo. The old logo, in use for over 20 years, is iconic. Love it or hate it, the new GAP logo has caused quite a commotion on the Internet, causing rumors of a hoax to abound.

This could be one the best or worst Internet Marketing Strategies ever attempted. Either way, it’s a great example of the impact of social media and the importance of branding. Check out the statement from corporate on GAP’s Facebook page, which already has over 1,000 fan comments:

Wednesday October 8, 2010,  “Thanks for everyone’s input on the new logo! We’ve had the same logo for 20+ years, and this is just one of the things we’re changing. We know this logo created a lot of buzz and we’re thrilled to see passionate debates unfolding! So much so we’re asking you to share your designs. We love our version, but we’d like to… see other ideas. Stay tuned for details in the next few days on this crowd sourcing project.”

Debates, harsh words and conspiracy theories have run a muck on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve read countless blogs entries about how ugly the new logo is. There are even Twitter accounts for @oldGAPlogo with over 800 followers and the new @GAPlogo with over 4,000 followers. Both are quite humorous, even taking jabs at each other.

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Are they really changing the logo? Too soon to be sure.*

Are they really asking for the public to redesign their logo? Sounds like it would be a great contest, maybe one they should have thought of sooner.

Does anyone really care? According to fan comments, YES, the public cares what the GAP logo looks like.

This Internet marketing strategy accomplishes two things that makes it successful:

1. Gets people involved – fans are commenting on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, blogging about it and sharing alternative designs
2. Gets media attention – from AdAge to the Huffington Post, it’s getting media attention, for FREE I might add

What more could you ask from your Internet marketing strategy? Personally, I find it all very amusing. But, the question remains: is this a PR stunt, PR nightmare or the greatest Internet marketing strategy ever? What do you think?

*UPDATE:  This morning GAP, Inc issued a press release stating they would discontinue using the newly designed logo and revert back to the iconic blue box logo.
“We’ve learned a lot in this process. And we are clear that we did not go about this in the right way. We recognize that we missed the opportunity to engage with the online community. This wasn’t the right project at the right time for crowd sourcing.” – Marka Hansen, President of GAP, Inc.