Gap re-launches tees with “Be Your Own T” campaign

11 May '12

5 min read

Using the t-shirt as a medium for self-expression, Gap's new global marketing campaign captures how summer's favorite wardrobe staple is an effortless way to convey individual style.

Emphasizing lush fabrics and updated figure-flattering fits in an optimistic range of colors and silhouettes, Be Your Own T highlights the three distinct categories of the new T collection—The Now Tees, The Essential Tees, and The G Tees— as well as other t-shirt-inspired styles including dresses, skirts, tanks and rompers.

“Be Your Own T expresses the qualities that make each one of us unique through the lens of a 'T,'” said Seth Farbman, Gap's Global Chief Marketing Officer. “Just as we did with our 1969 jeans, we've reinvented our t-shirt collection from the ground up, offering a t-shirt that fits everyone's personality, style, passions and budget.”

At the center of the campaign are two digital experiences: T-It-Yourself (T.I.Y.) and Styld.by. The T.I.Y experience gives people buying new Gap Tees creative ways to upcycle their old t-shirts into fun, fashionable accessories in six steps or less—from flip flops and beach bags, to laptop sleeves and dog toys.

The digital experience, created in partnership with Threadless, will be refreshed throughout the summer and will live primarily on Gap's Facebook page. It can also be shared through Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Styld.by, Gap's collaboration with well-respected fashion and lifestyle blogs launched earlier this year, will introduce new content and partners and will feature key items from the men's collection for the first time.

Styld.by evolves the idea of a traditional catalog by asking partners to curate their own looks using key Gap pieces of the season and then deliver those looks in a way that encourages people to engage with them and share them through social media. For summer, Styld.by highlights ways to style Gap's new summer Tees from the point of view of each partner, including Refinery29, WhoWhatWear, Lookbook, Rue, HypeBeast and Stereogum.

In addition to the digital experiences, Be Your Own T will be carried out through dynamic, large-scale “T” installations using real Ts that will show up on billboards and in Gap stores in top markets around the country, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami and Dallas. In Times Square, people can interact with the billboard by tweeting a photo of themselves with the hashtag #beyourownt. Using a camera across the street, Gap will take a keepsake photo of the user's photo on the billboard and tweet it back. Keepsake photos will also be published on Gap's Facebook page allowing fans to tag each other.

The campaign will also appear in digital advertisements, on Gap.com and Gap's social media properties. Other initiatives to support the campaign include music festival activations at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Wanderlust.

Be Your Own T was created in Gap's Global Creative Center in New York and will appear in various markets globally.

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