Following last year’s logo fiasco, it seems apt that Gap Inc. would be looking for a change, and in doing so, the agency has tapped O&M as its new global AOR. The move complements Gap’s management overhaul which includes the appointment of Art Peck as president of its North American operations, Seth Farbman as Gap’s global CMO and Pam Wallack as head of the company’s new Global Creative Center. In a statement, Gap chairman/CEO Glenn Murphy says it loud and clear that “I expect more from our Gap business in North America. The changes we’re making are intended to propel the brand to deliver the product and brand experiences our customers demand worldwide.” Murphy goes on to say that New York City will serve as the “global epicenter” of the Gap brand.
We obtained the memo sent by Ogilvy N.A. chairman John Seifert to staff regarding the Gap news. Read on after the jump.
“It is with great excitement that I am announcing the win of our newest client, Gap, the legendary American retailer and the flagship label of Gap, Inc. This is a client that we have long been in discussions with, and one that we are thrilled to call a new partner.
The process to get to today has been lengthy, but it has proven to me that our Big ideaL — to bring out the inner greatness in brands, companies and people — holds true.
Gap is a true icon, and we could not be prouder to have been chosen to help with the next chapter of bringing out its inner greatness, and in turn, like all of our clients, they will help bring out ours. I have been working closely with Gap Inc. CEO, Glenn Murphy, over the past few months and I’m incredibly excited for Ogilvy to be a part of his transformation plan for the Gap business and brand. This win is also a testament to our determination to work with more iconic consumer brands.
The effort on this pitch was incredible, and, like every pitch, there are so many people to thank. I will not attempt to list them all here, but they know who they are and they have my deepest respect and gratitude.
I especially want to thank Seth Farbman, who brought in Gap as a prospective client last April and never stopped believing that their best days were ahead of them. From our first meeting with the clients we knew Ogilvy needed to be a part of those days. Seth’s belief in the brand and its latent value encouraged Gap to think of him not only as a client service leader, but as a brand ambassador and strategic marketing partner. For Ogilvy, Gap’s recognition of Seth’s power as a change agent is bittersweet as Seth will be leaving Ogilvy to serve as the Global Chief Marketing Officer at Gap. We are incredibly happy for him and wish him all the best in his new role. We will start work today with Seth, his teams, and our clients on his transition to Gap.
This latest win comes on the back of a year of momentum for Ogilvy North America. Ad Age recently named us as an “Agency to Watch” in 2011. I will be sharing our 2010 business results and 2011 outlook next week in an all-staff webcast. I’m anxious to put this latest win in the context of many accomplishments from across the company. We have much to be proud of. I could not be more grateful for all your support.
Despite the ridiculously cold weather, January is off to a hot start … let’s keep it rolling.”