did it just make everyone notice, comment, and think about The Gap? and if it did, maybe the ad succeded in way you might not have thought of...
Well, yes and no, Helen. I think to a certain extent all marketing is geared up towards building lifetime relationships with customers, giving them the sense that they as individuals are "important".
If a large company can't be bothered to cater for an entire nation it doesn't say much for their attitude to individuals. I'd expect that kind of approach from the cheaper, mass-produced end of the market, but not from a supposed quality supplier.
And to some extent I would also pass such negative feelings about the company on to my kids. They may well ignore me, of course, but then, they may not. Can Gap afford the possibility?
There is certainly such a thing as bad publicity, although it's less about being controversial and more about being ignorant and dismissive.
