OLD NAVY

'Old Navy' is a brand of clothing and chain of stores owned by Gap Inc., which also owns the Gap and Banana Republic. Old Navy's corporate operations are within Gap in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco. Gap, Inc. was run by President and CEO Paul Pressler from September 2002 - January 22, 2007. Mr. Robert J. Fisher will serve as Interim Chief Executive Officer commencing January 22, 2007.^[1]

Contents

History

Concept

Advertisement campaigns

References

External links

History

Old Navy opened its first three stores in Colma, San Leandro and Pittsburg in Northern California in 1994^[2]. These first three stores were originally constructed as Gap Warehouse stores. The size and scale of the stores were larger and more diverse than any stores opened by the company before. Within the first year of existence, Old Navy opened 57 stores. As of 2007, Old Navy has more than 1,000 stores in the United States and Canada^[3]. The largest Old Navy stores are its flagship stores, located in New York City, the Mall of America, Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco^[4]. The largest of these is located on Market Street in San Francisco.
In 1994, the Founder of Gap, Inc. and the CEO were visiting the UK and came upon a place distinctly named Old Navy and it struck a chord with them. (The Old Navy official site says, "Old Navy was named after a bar in Paris."^[5]) A branding consultant two weeks before the trip abroad had presented them with the name 'Elevator'. The concept name was received with mixed reviews. It has been said that the name was chosen because the stores were to imitate the look and feel of a traditional military surplus store. While this motif was quickly dropped, many stores retain a warehouse-like/urban decor and the name Old Navy stuck.
The online store, oldnavy.com, launched operations in 2000.
In 1999, Old Navy expanded its franchise to 6 locations in Puerto Rico. In 2001, Old Navy opened 12 stores in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Furthermore, in 2004, 7 stores were opened in the province of Quebec (including 6 in the Montreal Area).

Concept

Old Navy's target market largely consists of middle class and upper class families and teenagers. The clothing is more affordable than its other Gap Inc. counterparts, as well as that of rival stores like American Eagle, Aéropostale, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Hollister. Old Navy's stores contain specialized sections for infants, boys, girls, men, and women. Most recently, Old Navy launched a re-worked line of denim for women sizes 0 to 20, with catchy names such as the Sweetheart, Diva and Flirt. They are available in a range of fits and lengths, but are still very affordable. In addition to clothing, Old Navy also sells a variety of accessories such as shoes, handbags, toys, hats, and sunglasses, along with a line of clothing and toys for dogs.
Flagship stores also have "collection" business clothes for women, plus size and maternity sections. As of summer 2007 however, plus-size clothing is only available online and has been pulled from all stores due to low sales. Previously, Old Navy attempted to launch a bath and body line, called ONbody, but dropped the effort after only a few months.
Old Navy informally bills itself as an all-American brand. The chain releases a shirt every summer emblazoned with an American flag. Each year's shirt features a slightly altered flag graphic with the year listed underneath. Alternatively, they also offer shirts with the Puerto Rican flag on them. In its Canadian stores, a similar shirt with the Canadian flag is sold.
Within the next five years, Old Navy plans to renovate all their US stores. The new Old Navy will have hardwood floors, natural lighting, and a garden inside the store. Old Navy hopes to shed its warehouse-like atmosphere and induce a more comfortable, natural shopping experience.

Advertisement campaigns

The most notable aspect of Old Navy's television advertisements are their kitschy, satirical tone toward a retro time period, vaguely between 1940 and 1960. In sharp contrast to the Gap's advertisements, Old Navy's feature chipper family members sporting their clothing line while engaging in wholesome family activities, such as barbecuing. A common tagline used in their campaigns is ''" [insert clothing article here] for the whole family!"''
Old Navy is also known for its advertising campaigns featuring celebrities such as Molly Sims, Morgan Fairchild, Joan Collins, Fran Drescher, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Kristin Chenoweth, Tim Armbruster and Lil' Kim. Another popular spokesperson was former ''Vogue'' editor Carrie Donovan, who often appeared in ads with company "spokesdog," Magic. According to Gap Inc., Magic, an Airedale terrier mix, was rescued from the streets of San Jose. Magic remains an informal mascot of the company, though Donovan has since died.
Old Navy started a contest in June 2006 to choose a new mascot dog to replace Magic through a nationwide search contest. Paco, a mixed breed male from Venice Beach, California, was announced as the new Old Navy mascot on July 23, 2006.
''Jeffersons'' stars Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley appeared in a number of Old Navy television commercials in the late 1990s and early 2000s until Sanford died.

References

1. United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Form 8-K [1]
2. http://www.oldnavy.com/customerService/info.do?cid=3337
3. Gap Inc. Store Count, as of August 4, 2007 [2]
4. http://www.oldnavy.com/customerService/info.do?cid=3334
5. Old Navy branding information[3]

External links

★ Official website

★ Gap Inc. - Parent company website