In case you missed the big news, Gap has quietly launched a new logo. Gone are the serif font caps, replaced by a bold Helvetica with a gradient box behind the p. It currently only appears on their website, but it is out there – and people are talking. Marketing folks and  consumers alike are scratching their heads wondering, what the heck?

I am scratching my head right along with them. While Gap has been struggling, this rebranding effort will certainly not help them. The blue gradient box make no sense. Plus, currently the logo only appears online, making me wonder if Gap is really committed to the new logo.

I love what Brand Channel had to say:

But ditching the classic logo, recognized by everyone, in favor of whatever that new monstrosity is, demonstrates a prototypical brand panic move. With things not going in its favor, the brand decides to change the one valuable element it has going for it.

Ironically maybe, the new logo is perfect for the brand. It communicates exactly the values currently embodied by Gap: A sense of being lost and a lack of clear vision and creativity.

Despite all the bad press, Gap has remained quiet about their new logo. That is until last night on Facebook. It appears that Gap is now using the “lemon” attention to make lemonade. Check out what Gap posted on its fan page:

Thanks for everyone’s input on the new logo! We’ve had the same logo for 20+ years, and this is just one of the things we’re changing. We know this logo created a lot of buzz and we’re thrilled to see passionate debates unfolding! So much so we’re asking you to share your designs. We love our version, but we’d like to… see other ideas. Stay tuned for details in the next few days on this crowd sourcing project.

So is the new logo here to stay? Or will Gap do as Tropicana did last year and go back to its original logo?

Our recommendation would be to admit they made a mistake and keep their blue box and serif font.

A good brand identity should not be messed with.