Twitter/Gap
Customers are praising the ad online.
- Gap has launched a new ad campaign that features a woman breastfeeding.
- Commenters on social media have come out in support of the company, and some are saying it's inspiring them to shop in its stores.
- In the past, some ads featuring breastfeeding have created a backlash online.
Gap just made a smart marketing move to win back customers.
The retailer launched a new collection of comfortable basics, "Love by GapBody," this month. And with it came a new ad campaign that showed a series of women relaxing at home, playing with a dog, and in another image, breastfeeding a baby.
There are two photographs: one of a woman pressing the child close to her, and another of her breastfeeding the child. The latter has been posted on the company's Instagram page but is noticeably absent from its website and Twitter and Facebook profiles.
Gap did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on this.
The photos are being praised on Instagram.
"Just a mom feeding her baby #NormalizeBreastfeeding I am so happy to shop at a store that supports breastfeeding!!!" one Instagram user commented on the post.
Some breastfeeding ads have not been so well received in the past. In April 2017, personal care company Dove, which is owned by Unilever, had to pull an ad that ran in the UK after it was criticized online. The ad showed a woman breastfeeding and asked the question: "75% say breastfeeding in public is fine. 25% say put them away." Angry customers claimed this was implying that women should feel ashamed to breastfeed in public.
Gap, on the other hand, has struck a chord with its female customers.
"This is so amazing!!!! As a breastfeeding mother, I applaud you guys. Thank you so much for doing this!!! This is so powerful. THANK YOU!!!!" another wrote.
Gap Inc.'s namesake brand has struggled in recent years. Sales have stalled, it announced it would be closing stores over the next three years, and its CEO stepped down this month.
Gap has also been accused of failing to appeal to its shoppers. In January, it launched a new collection of clothing and accessories, called "Archive Reissue - Logo Remix," with some items costing as much as $198. Business Insider reported that Gap could be at risk of falling into the same trap as J.Crew, which raised its prices and ended up alienating customers.
This new
"I have never shopped at Gap, but I will be purchasing something tonight! This is amazing!" one Instagram commenter wrote.
The company has supported motherhood in the past. In 2017, it launched a short film featuring Liv Tyler and Candice Swanepoel that celebrated motherhood and raised awareness for Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit that helps mothers around the world get access to maternity care.
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