In 2020, Mark Breitbard stepped away from his role as CEO of Banana Republic and into managing Gap’s global brand and strategic alliances. The year that followed proved one of the company’s most successful years to date, bringing in more than $11 billion in revenue in the first three quarters of 2021.
Through the first half of 2021, the Gap logo hoodie became ubiquitous, thanks to the company’s clever capitalization on a TikTok trend. And in June, Gap inked a high-profile partnership with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand. The consecutive hits had fashion onlookers asking: Is Gap back?
TikTok said so. Prominent Gen-Z influencers, from Barbara Kristoffersen to Emma Chamberlain, have been championing the return of Gap all year. Various Gap related hashtags have been viewed millions of times each, like #gaphoodie (8.8 million views) and #gap (540 million views).
According to Breitbard, the buzz serves as proof that Gap is just as relevant today as it was in the ’90s. He said he owes that to the brand’s “product and creative.”
“I am proud of the success we’ve had in these areas to improve Gap brand’s business performance,” he said. “We are trending and generating buzz from our Gap Logo Hoodie, our Gap Home launch, and our campaigns tied to key moments with changemakers, like our holiday campaign with Katy Perry and our Yeezy Gap launches.”
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Breitbard and Gap launched two products with Yeezy this year, kicking off the companies’ 10-year deal. It began in August with the Round Jacket, which was being resold for three-times the $200 price in November. In October, the $90 Perfect Hoodie followed and became Gap’s best-selling product in its history.
“Ye is a creative force,” Breitbard said, referring to West. “The energy around this partnership is great for the brand and the company, so we’re excited to be working with him.”
