Ad of the Day: David Fincher Brings Darkness and Mystery to Gap's Fall Campaign

For years, Gap's ads—and its clothes—were all about bubbly, drenching color. But this fall, it's time for a new look in both, as the brand has brought in David Fincher to drain the color, quite literally, from the TV work—and tell enigmatic stories in artful, cinematic black-and-white instead. Four spots below, created by Wieden + Kennedy in New York as part of the new "Dress Normal" campaign, were released online Thursday (fittingly, perhaps, given their throwback vibe). The story lines are brief and somewhat inscrutable snapshots of guys and girls pursuing each other—with off-kilter payoff lines like "Dress like no one's watching," "Simple clothes for you to complicate" and "The uniform of rebellion and conformity." The black-and-white style evokes film noir, though the vibe is lighter than that—and the lack of color (except for the Gap logo at the end of the spots, presented in various hues) ties directly into a product Gap is pushing hard this season: black denim. "We want these films to get people talking," says Seth Farbman, Gap's global chief marketing officer. "Each one features a confident woman at the center and tells a story of how liberating it is when you are being your most authentic self. We believe everyone who watches them will identify with one or more of the characters. "We were thrilled to work with David Fincher, one of the greats of modern American cinema and a superb storyteller. His highly detailed and authentic style resonates with the Gap brand and these films truly bring to life what our 'Dress Normal' message means." What the line means is certainly up for debate, as we mentioned in covering the print component of the campaign. (It appears to be Gap's take on normcore, which it seems to want to half-embrace and half-reject.) But it's definitely a provocation. And for a company long addicted to celebrity talent on camera, putting this particular celebrity director behind it certainly shifts the brand in an interesting direction. By moving into the shadows, perhaps Gap can actually emerge from them. CREDITS Client: Gap Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, New York Executive Creative Directors: Susan Hoffman, David Kolbusz Creative Directors: Stuart Jennings, Susan Hoffman Copywriter: Sheena Brady Art Director: Kim Haxton Head of Content Production: Nick Setounski Executive Producer: Alison Hill Producer: Lisa Delonay Brand Strategists: Erik Hanson, Hayley Parker Account Team: Tamera Geddes, Dipal Shah, Patty Ehinger Business Affairs: Lisa Quintela Production Company: Reset Director: David Fincher Executive Producer, Chief Operating Officer: Dave Morrison Executive Producer: Jeff McDougall Line Producer: Laura Miller Director of Photography: Jeff Cronenweth Production Designer: Don Burt Costume Designer: Trish Summerville Editing Company: Work Editorial Editor: Kirk Baxter Post Producer: Sari Resnick Post Executive Producer: Erica Thompson Editorial Assistants: Nate Gross, Mike Horan, Billy Peake Visual Effects Company: Mill Senior Executive Producer: Sue Troyan Producer: Dan Roberts Coordinator: Jillian Lynes New York Producer: Clairellen Wallin 2-D Lead Artists: Tim Davies, James Allen 2-D Artists: Robert Murdock, Tara Demarco, Timothy Crabtree, Jale Parsons, Brandon Danowski, Jamin Clutcher Telecine Company: Light Iron Colorist: Ian Vertovec Mix Company: Sound Lounge Mixer: Tom Jucarone Sound Designer: Tom Jucarone Producer: Vicky Ferraro Music: Drive Song: "L'amour LaMort" Artist: Martial Solal Music: Golf Song: "Wait A Minute" Artist: Performed by Eddie Ray; licensed by Bank Robber Music: Kiss Song: "Kiss" Artist: David Holmes Music: Stairs Song: "Inner Babylon" Artist: Written by Shabaka Hutchings; performed by Sons of Kemet

Brand Marketing

Ad of the Day: David Fincher Brings Darkness and Mystery to Gap's Fall Campaign

W+K's four black-and-white spots

Tim Nudd

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Tim Nudd