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Gap Logo Design History and Evolution

By Billy Clarke Leave a Comment

Gap in an interesting brand. While it’s a major part of malls and shopping centers across the nation, it’s also a brand that has managed to transform the way that middle American dresses. It’s made its mark not necessarily by being fashionable, but by playing it safe. While most of the brands that compete against it in those same shopping center do so by offering an aesthetic, Gap tows a middle line that’s made it quite successful. If you are interested in how the company’s image has changed to match that path, you may want to look at the Gap logo.

Gap Logo Design Elements

Gap’s logo is a lesson in simplicity. It consists of a single square with the word written within. There’s nothing fancy or even stylish there, but the logo is nevertheless recognizable. When you see the Gap logo, you know what you’re going to get – clothing that’s inoffensive, that fits well and will let you fit in everywhere from the classroom to the office. It’s a fantastic reflection of the brand and its identity, which is why it has so rarely changed.

Gap’s color is blue, which makes sense. Blue is a color of tranquility, calm, and being balanced. If you’re looking at clothing that fits in the upper end of casual, it’s the kind of attitude that you may want to embrace. The font is simple and straightforward, allowing consumers to read it from a distance. Everything about the Gap logo allows you to know what the company is all about.

Changes and Evolution

1. Shape

Gap has only altered the shape of its logo once in its history, and that logo alteration certainly caused a stir. From an objective standpoint, the change wasn’t all that big – the shape switched from the name being written within the blue square to a blue gradient square being placed on the corner of the name. It was a switch that attempted to modernize the brand and bring in more in line with the spirit of the 2010s, and it was an immense failure. Gap doesn’t have to be modern – nor does its logo.

2. Color

Gap kept its color scheme even when it made the brief, week-long 2010 logo change. Blue is a color that’s definitely associated with the brand at this point, so it would be disastrous to change it. Unfortunately, the brand chose to use a graduated shade of blue that really didn’t look nice, something that made the brand look tacky instead of modern. By reverting back to the solid blue color in the Gap logo, the company helped to ensure that it would keep its solid reputation intact.

3. Font

Gap’s current font isn’t special, but it works. The 2010 font, on the other hand, was a Helvetica font that looked cheap and unprofessional. It was likely an attempt to make the brand hip and relatable, but those aren’t necessarily factors at which most look when shopping at the Gap. Instead, customers have seemed to mostly look for dependability and strength – two factors that the original Gap logo had in spades. It’s telling that the Gap hasn’t attempted to make a similar change in the years since the debacle.

Influences/ Inspiration

Given that the logo is fifty years old at this point, it’s impossible to say exactly what influenced Gap’s decision to stick with the current logo after its brief change. It’s a solid choice for a company that has a good track record, though, and avoiding making quick changes to keep up with the rest of the pack has paid off.

Gap’s logo definitely influenced many other sellers in the same industry. Having a simple logo that is easy to print on a tag is now the norm, even if other companies do tend to go a bit farther with their overall design. Gap has managed to make an industry out of being a very safe choice, and those who want to follow in their footsteps tend to do the same with their logos.

Trivia

  • GAP also owns Intermix and Old Navy.
  • The name Gap is in reference to the Generation Gap.
  • The Gap logo was only changed once, in 2010. It was not well-received.
  • The first GapKids store opened in 1976.
  • Gap debuted its online shopping site in 1997.

Conclusion

Gap is a prime example of how you should not change a good thing. The logo may not be exciting, but it works. The brief attempt to change the logo was a disaster – but admitting the mistake and going back to the old Gap logo really did work. Sometimes its just not worth it to change for the sake of change.

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