Originally, Gap was to be named “Pants and Disks”, as the original store model specialized in selling records, tapes, and Levi's jeans. The name “The Gap” (a shortening of “the generation gap”) was suggested by founder Don Fisher’s wife, Doris, during a brainstorming session with ad exec Art Twain, who was responsible for their first identity.
The Gap[]
1969–1985[]
Designer:
Art Twain
Typography:
Custom
Launched:
August 21, 1969
The Gap was founded on August 21, 1969. The accompanying record pattern motif (see below) was phased out in 1981 alongside Gap’s music section.
1969–1981[]
Full version, used on bags
Variant with larger wordmark
Condensed version, first used 1978
1985–1988[]
Gap[]
1988–present[]
1988–2015[]
Designer:
Pierre Rademaker of Rademaker Design
Typography:
Spire
Launched:
July 1988
Wordmark
2016–present[]
Designer:
Unknown
Typography:
Spire
Launched:
January 1, 2016
After thirty years of using its 'blue square' logo, Gap introduced a new logo on January 1, 2016, with the 1988 wordmark isolated from the square.
On October 4, 2010, Gap replaced its 'blue square' logo; this reportedly happened suddenly without any announcements. The new logo design, consisting of simply the word "Gap" in Helvetica Neue placed next to a blue square, was credited to Laird & Partners. Due to an extremely negative response from customers, on October 11 - only one week after it was introduced - Gap announced that they would revert back to their former logo. Since then, this logo has often been referred to as one of the worst logos of all time.
