Taking a Page From DTC Brand Strategies, Gap, Aldo Look Backward—and Forward—to TikTok

For the longest time, legacy brands been unable to rely on the familiarity of their iconic names to impress younger consumers. As direct-to-consumer (DTC) and ecommerce brands have used their online origins to connect with digitally native Gen-Z and millennial shoppers, two legacy brands have found some degree of success in revitalizing their identities for a new era of retailing. Naturally, TikTok has played a big part in the burst of brand affinity Gap and Aldo have been able to capture, TikTok and the brown Gap hoodie Earlier this year, a viral TikTok video put a spotlight on a brown logo hoodie from Gap—which turned out to be one of the most iconic designs from the Gap in the late ’90s. https://www.tiktok.com/@barbarakristoffersen/video/6922806181140434181?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6979969765687182853&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0 Here’s the catch: Gap stopped producing said brown logo hoodies in the early 2000s. But that didn’t stop TikTok users from storming resale sites looking for Gap’s signature hooded sweatshirt to add to their closets. As a result, resellers and secondhand shops have dubbed it “Y2K vintage,” selling the iconic brown hoodies for up to $300 each. To put it in perspective, Gap is still selling their logo arch hoodies in other colors, which only retail at $60. If you’re wondering how this surge in interest came about, it has a lot to do with the power of nostalgia. Creating experiences that help an audience recall rose-tinted memories help capture their interest—or in the case of Gap, bring back old fads and trends. Fortunately for legacy brands, new DTC brands don’t have a rich history they can draw from. Leveraging virality Gap decided to leverage its TikTok fame by crowdsourcing product insight for the first time ever. Fueled by the viral video, they created a TikTok campaign called the “Gap Hoodie Color Comeback” competition, which debuted on June 26 and lasted until July 2. Participants had the opportunity to provide feedback and vote on the new color for the Gap hoodie on Gap’s social accounts and via selected creators on TikTok. Not only was this a smart product strategy, but it also enabled the brand to give its audience a voice. Aldo blends dance and humor on TikTok An audience-first, TikTok-focused strategy also helped footwear brand Aldo generate 5.1 billion contest page video views and over 9,000 unique contest entries. The “Step Into Love” campaign highlighted the universal languages of dance, music and style to encourage people to have the self-confidence to connect meaningfully with the world around them. The #StepintoLove challenge on TikTok encouraged users worldwide to learn the #StepintoLove dance and post a video for a chance to win a cash prize. The video-first approach to this campaign resulted from Aldo’s audience engaging with and consuming multimedia more than ever. “As a brand, we always try to keep our finger on the pulse of what trends and topics our current and future customers are talking about and what’s considered relevant on the platform changes by the week,” said Amanda Amar, Aldo’s director of Global Social Media and Public Relations. “Knowing that TikTok is centered around dance and humor above all, the idea of having this campaign come to life on this fresh and interactive platform was a no-brainer.” Even its choice of background music came from listening to the audience. The song Roses (Imanbek Remix) by SAINt JHN, was selected for its ability to resonate with Aldo’s target audience. Focusing on authenticity Throughout the campaign, the goal was to showcase their brand personality and strengthen their position as an authentic, customer-focused brand. Aldo’s customer-first approach (which focused on creators first and product second) contributed to the campaign’s success, to the point that #StepintoLove was recognized as a Top Hashtag Challenge in TikTok’s Year in Review. Why? Because it resonated with the TikTok community and drove massive engagement on the platform. Building stronger customer relationships Listening to your audience and displaying your authenticity contribute to building relationships. This is what legacy brands should understand—marketing is no longer one-size-fits-all. One of the best ways to kick off a new marketing campaign right now is to experiment with TikTok. With an engagement rate of 18%, this social media platform garners more engagement than on other platforms (Instagram: 3.86% and YouTube: 1.63%). Aldo’s “Step Into Love” campaign was created to build the brand through shared values and inviting consumers to participate in the brand’s story. At the same time, Gap’s Hoodie Color Comeback allowed users to participate in the brand’s decision-making process. These simple TikTok strategies can help legacy brands foster a deeper relationship with their audiences and reignite the brand loyalty that was once there. Moreover, these are great ways to reach new followers and help decades-old brands stay relevant—and potentially even achieve virality. JanSport Taps TikTok Talent to Star in a Gen Z-Inspired Comedy Series