How Brands Like Gap Are Rewriting the Rules of Relevance
If you’ve been on TikTok lately—or anywhere near a screen—you’ve probably seen Gap back in its groove, quite literally. Whether it's Tyla effortlessly moving through a Jungle-inspired dreamscape or Troye Sivan showing off his signature flair to Thundercat’s “Funny Thing,” Gap is making one thing clear: it’s not just selling clothes—it’s selling a vibe.
What’s fascinating here isn’t just the choreography. It’s the brand strategy.
In a digital landscape where attention is elusive and loyalty is fragile, brands like Gap are proving that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy when it comes to staying relevant online. Some lean into chaotic Gen Z humor, others fully embrace nostalgia—and some, like Gap, are threading the needle between both.
As someone who lives and breathes brand storytelling and cultural marketing, let me break down what makes this shift so powerful:
✅ Legacy Isn’t a Limitation—It’s a Launchpad
Gap’s marketing team didn’t reinvent the wheel. They brought legacy assets—like its iconic “Khaki Swing” spot—into today’s conversation by remixing them with modern beats, talent, and tone. That subtle nod to brand heritage says: We’ve been cool before. We still are.
This strategy taps into a powerful cultural truth: nostalgia is currency. But only when it’s paired with cultural fluency.
✅ Culture Is the Strategy—Not Just the Aesthetic
In 2024 and 2025, participating in culture means more than jumping on trends. Gap is embedding itself into meaningful cultural ecosystems—through talent, music, and community partnerships.
Take, for example, its recent collaboration with Boiler Room on a summer series. The first episode featured rising artist NasThug, sharing summer memories in Tokyo before taking the stage at Tokyo Burnside. The full set dropped on Boiler Room TV, but key moments were teased across TikTok, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look into an experience that felt raw, immersive, and real.
This isn’t just branded content—it’s cultural content. Through Boiler Room, Gap is tapping directly into underground music scenes and creative communities, positioning itself as a brand that not only sells fashion but lives within culture.
The partnership hits all the right notes:
Connecting with youth culture through authentic, music-first storytelling
Emphasizing self-expression, not just style
Utilizing TikTok and digital-first platforms to distribute content that resonates beyond a “campaign”
It’s a smart, strategic expansion of their pop-culture playbook—and proof that authenticity isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a strategy.
✅ Format Follows Function—and Feeling
Here’s what Gap nailed: people don’t want ads, they want entertainment. Whether it’s a Boiler Room set or a TikTok dance with Troye Sivan, their content doesn’t scream “buy now”—it moves like a moment and feels like a vibe.
That’s intentional. Social-first creative doesn’t mean just resizing a graphic for Instagram—it means designing stories people want to share.
And it’s working. With millions of views and tons of organic recreations, Gap isn’t just in the feed—they’re in the culture.
✅ Relevance Requires Risk
Recreating a trending music video almost shot-for-shot or betting on niche music culture could’ve gone wrong. But Gap took the risk—and added its own twist through casting, styling, and storytelling. That level of creative confidence comes from knowing your brand identity, and trusting your audience to come with you.
Because let’s be real: safe content rarely makes cultural impact. Great brands know when to push boundaries—and when to dance on them.
Final Take
Whether they’re evoking nostalgia, showing up at Boiler Room, or dropping into TikTok’s For You Page with cinematic flair, Gap is showing us what reinvention looks like when it’s rooted in authenticity.
This is what modern brand building requires: a blend of heritage and experimentation, culture and commerce, rhythm and relevance. It’s not just about going viral. It’s about creating value, leaving an impression, and moving culture forward—even if that starts with a literal dance break.
So no, there’s not one roadmap to relevance. But if there’s one lesson here, it’s this:
The brands that win today are the ones bold enough to play, remix, and move with intention.
Want to see how I help brands bridge cultural storytelling with creative execution? Check out my portfolio.