Denim brands and retailers like Banana Republic, Levi’s and Gap are prepping for the holiday shopping season with campaigns that aim to get consumers in their stores. From campaigns that pull on heartstrings, to others that promise a bargain, here’s a round-up of their latest holiday promotional efforts.
Banana Republic
Picture this: professional dancers showing their moves in a festive New York mansion while snow falls from the ceiling. Such is the scene of Banana Republic’s holiday campaign, shot by photographer Fanny Latour-Lambert at the historic Alder Mansion. In the video, dancers Jon Boogz, Nardia BooDoo, Ron ‘Prime Tyme’ Myles and Celia Rowlson-Hall are shown dressed in the retailer’s latest collection, which features items like sequined dresses, cozy sweaters and tailored velour blazers. Named “Celebrate,” the campaign was conceptualized in-house by Banana Republic’s creative director Len Peltier.
Gap
For this holiday season, Gap produced a sentimental video showcasing the evolution of one boy’s red hoodie. It follows him through his childhood, where he’s seen wearing the sweatshirt during everyday moments such as skateboarding, playing with his dog, taking photos and more. The video ends with him as an adult receiving a similar hoodie as a gift, alongside the note, “Because you’ve been there all along.”
Gap is weaving this concept into its entire campaign, with a series of gift ideas and corresponding messages such as “Because you can rock any color and still be green” when gifting denim and “Because sleeping is your favorite sport” when gifting pajamas.
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In stores, the retailer will offer complimentary gift tags with similar messaging. The campaign, “Gift the Thought,” was developed in collaboration with New-York based creative agency, Johannes Leonardo.
Old Navy
Old Navy is garnering excitement for the holidays with extended sales and incentives. From Nov. 20-Nov. 26, the retailer offered its pre-Black Friday sale, where all jeans, sweaters and outerwear were 50 percent off. It’s also extending the main event with a three-day Black Friday sale where everything is 50 percent off in-store and online. Following Black Friday, the Cyber Sale kicks off on Nov. 30 and is extended to Dec. 2.
It’s also bringing back its “Shock of a Dolla” Cozy Sock sale, where customers can purchase $1 Cozy Socks and contribute to a good cause in the process. For every $1 Cozy Sock purchased during the sale, Old Navy will donate $1 to Boys & Girls Clubs.
Levi’s
To make gift-buying easier on customers, Levi’s created an online tool to help narrow down their search. By visiting the Levi’s website, users can access the three-question quiz, which asks who the recipient is (a love interest, coworker or family member), what kind of music they like and what you’d like to spend. From there, it generates a list of bestselling items that they’ll love. The tool is also available on the Dockers site.
American Eagle
American Eagle is getting in the holiday spirit by offering 40 percent off most items and free shipping on all denim for a limited time—and it’s expecting record sales as a result. In October, the retailer announced plans to hire close to 10,000 part-time seasonal brand ambassadors for its American Eagle and Aerie stores. This holiday season is expected to be especially merry for both brands, and they’re now equipped to handle the influx of customers.