The Gap and Audrey Hepburn...

[Lauren]

I'm with Viola.

I mean, really. She was pretty cutting edge. I don't think it's at all like dancing with a household appliance. And in this whole movie she was playing a beatnik and to me it looks like she's having more fun dancing than in a lot of her previous movies. She was, first and foremost, a dancer anyway- even if she wasn't portrayed in film that way- an an activist for a lot of different causes.

 

[Vanessa]

Everyone said the same thing about the Gap swing commercial.

Gap using the lindy to promote khaki pants?!
Brian Setzer singing Jump, Jive N Wail?!
Outrage! How dare they promote the swing subculture on national tv!

But seriously, Audrey's estate licensed her image for the commercial so they at least approved of it. And it's obviously a well done spot, since people are talking about it.

 

[Blackgrass]

Didn't Bob Dylan do a Gap commercial? I have also seen a Dennis Hopper doing a financial planning commercial lately....which just seems sort of wrong for Dennis.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I always thought Fred Astaire would have really gotten a kick out of that vacuum commercial. He had a good sense of humor.

Audrey? I'd like to think she would be flattered.

 

[Katydid]

I'll admit it doesn't bother me. The John Wayne estate approved his footgae being used in beer commercials a few years ago, and the new Mustang was promoted using footage of Steve McQueen. I don't recall the movie the Hepburn footage was pulled from, but I rather liked it.

However, the real question is whether the target demographic likes it. They're surely selling to people aged about 15-30 (just a guess), none of whom probably have ever seen an Audrey Hepburn movie.

As evidence of this, I offer some consumer interviews done after the Steve McQueen / Mustang commercials aired. Most of those in the younger demographic had no idea who he was, but they agreed he was a very cool-looking guy. Evidently some things DO cross generations, and cool may be one of them.

"None of whom"? I happen to be right smack in the middle of that target group (ok more like on the tail end) as are most of my friends and I have to say, we all know who Audrey Hepburn is and have watched her movies (not that I claim to be an expert on Audrey Hepburn mind you). I think commercials like these are less about whether their demographic knows the icon they use so much as the feeling the commercial actually invokes.

 

[Twitch]

All considerations of esoterics aside, who the heck doesn't know Bullitt? That movie has played on every station everywhere. Young car guys got interested in Mustangs because of that flick not knowing McQueens' film history.

The John Wayne and Steve McQueen commercials we find amusing in retrospect were probably abhorred by some folks somewhere just as other dead celebrity commercials have been, and will continue, to be.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

And who doesn't like AC/DC? With Audrey, the contrast is inherently funny, like John Wayne singing a Nelly song.

C'mon that would be hysterical, The Duke rapping:

So if shorty wanna... knock, we knockin to this
And if shorty wanna... rock, we rockin to this
And if shorty wanna... pop, we poppin the Crist'
Shorty wanna see the ice, then I ice the wrist

Just let me get the Gap on the phone...

Viola

I am amazed with your knowledge of these lyrics I thought I was the only one who knew them! Thanks for placing this hysterical image in my head.
Vanessa you also raise a very good point. Who knows? Maybe this will introduce the wonderful Ms Hepburn to a new generation. Maybe that new generation will start dressing better. I certainly know that whatever film I'm watching of hers, I want to wear the clothes she's wearing. She's simply stunning. So, there possibly could be a positive side to it. I guess I just don't see her as the stunning image that she usually is. I know she was first and foremost a dancer, and a very good one at that. I just don't see her as the stunning, beautifully dressed woman that she was when she was alive. Would a woman as debonaire as Audrey Hepburn be promoting the gap if she were alive? Hmm, I really don't know.
Lauren, I was just wondering, in case I'm missing a certain aspect of this commercial. You say "an an activist for a lot of different causes", is this ad or the gap promoting a particular cause? If they are, I might just have a bit more respect for it. Just curious, sorry, don't mean to put you on the spot
All very good points being raised but, I'm still not fond of it. Maybe it's because the gap is such a casual store, and I see Audrey as this incredibly dressed woman. I just can't picture her in jeans or khakis and a tshirt.
As for the swing commercials. I found them a bit annoying and over-played. But, as Vanessa stated, they certainly caught on and really did revive the swing movement. I'm not sure if these ad's will revitalize Audrey Hepburn and her movies. They just don't make me want to rush out and buy a movie of hers. They also don't make me want to run out and buy the pants that she is advertising. I think they used to call this style cigarette pants (?), they must have changed it to skinny pant to be a little more PC. Personally I wouldn't buy a pant that are called "skinny". Maybe I'd buy them if they called them "make me skinny" pants I'd run out to buy them.

 

[Jay]

I agree it was a bad commercial. Something about it wasn't right, anyway. Then again, I've seen a lot of weird things on TV, like Alice Cooper talking about life insurance, or Erik Estrada trying to get me to buy a time share in Florida. Late nite TV is a whole nother world.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Doesn't bother me. That scene in Funny Face may be one of my favorites of all her films. If it's bringing her back to younger audiences, let em do it. We should be glad people WANT to dress like her.

I would love to dress like her. However, did she really dress as she is dressed in this commercial? I don't remember seeing her dressed like this, except in the film it was taken from. The Audrey I remember was always dressed so elegantly, even when she was wearing pants. I have no problem with the pants they are advertising, although they aren't for me. I've actually bought a few things from the Gap this season. They have some really cute things. But, I don't know if I was a young girl who had no idea who this dancing woman was, would actually run to the gap to buy the outfit she is wearing. Now maybe if she was advertising the pretty nice trousers that they are selling, it might have effected me more. Oh, back to my point. People wouldn't be dressing like Audrey Hepburn if they shopped at the gap, they would be dressing in the way that the gap is portraying her. Was this really her style? I really only know what she looked like in her films, and from what I recall, it was much more elegant than what she, or her ghost, is selling in the gap commercials.

 

[herringbonekid]

the black turtle neck and tight pants started a fashion when the film came out in '56. it will very probably happen again.

 

[decodoll]

I would love to dress like her. However, did she really dress as she is dressed in this commercial? I don't remember seeing her dressed like this, except in the film it was taken from. The Audrey I remember was always dressed so elegantly, even when she was wearing pants. I have no problem with the pants they are advertising, although they aren't for me. I've actually bought a few things from the Gap this season. They have some really cute things. But, I don't know if I was a young girl who had no idea who this dancing woman was, would actually run to the gap to buy the outfit she is wearing. Now maybe if she was advertising the pretty nice trousers that they are selling, it might have effected me more. Oh, back to my point. People wouldn't be dressing like Audrey Hepburn if they shopped at the gap, they would be dressing in the way that the gap is portraying her. Was this really her style? I really only know what she looked like in her films, and from what I recall, it was much more elegant than what she, or her ghost, is selling in the gap commercials.

This outfit is a classic example of an Audrey casual look. Not just something she wore for the movie.... although not with the white socks. She was terribly upset that the director made her wear white socks with an all black outfit. Although, she did admit after seeing it, that it did look better that way on flim.

Now....onto the Gap using Audrey's image. They are wonderful looking of course, because what ad using Audrey's image wouldn't be? I must admit I love seeing her image plastered all over the city. Talk about city beautification! BUT, I'm not so sure she would have wanted to be hawking clothes from the Gap. I think she had rather higher standards in style and quality than Gap merchandise delivers. And as for the AC/DC music... Plus, as a much younger co-worker pointed out (had never seen Funny Face), it wouldn't be so bad if the pants the Gap were selling were even the same style as hers!

 

[Vanessa]

She was very laid back in her clothing when working with Unicef - trying to separate herself from the glamorous movie star persona so that people could focus more on the work.

 

[Lauren]

Daisy, sorry, I should have clarified about the causes. Please read here with her work with UNICEF:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Hepburn Travelling and seeing people who had nothing, I'm assuming she wasn't going to wear what we see her in in hollywood. Maybe not the image we think, but it is the same woman.

More casual audrey looks:

 

[RedShoesGirl]

All-time worst Corpse As Shill:

"I'm Harley Earl, back from the dead because I like these new Buicks so much..."

i always liked those ads! because of the clothes i think.

the new GAP ads are just plain annoying because of the music — hit the mute button! but i like the dancing and the pants - hmmmmm, let's see, lose 10 pounds and wear skinny pants. right. hahahaha

rsg

 

[decodoll]

Not sure this one counts. It's from the movie, Two For the Road. They wouldn't let her use Givenchy. Can anyone tell I'm a huge Audrey fan?? lol

Here are some more...

Another Audrey favourite...mens button up shirt worn as wrap shirt.

 

[Lauren]

Hehe... yeah... but I think it's cute And it is still her...
The last one you posted is adorable!

 

[decodoll]

She'd be adorable in anything really. You know, I really don't think I'd have a problem with the Gap ads and calling the pants the Audrey Skinny Pant if they at least looked like the ones she wore, side or back zipper (not with a fly front) and at THE WAIST!!! I'd probably even buy a pair if that were the case.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Wow, I never really realised how much her every day clothes do look like Gap products. Thanks for posting such great pictures of her. I'm so used to seeing her screen stills, that I never really noticed how laid back and casual she was in her every day clothes. Funny, I should have known, I have a great book about her with lots of pretty full page color pictures of her.
Lauren, thanks for the link for her works with UNICEF. It would be nice if the gap had somehow fit these great charitable works into their ad campaign.

 

[Samsa]

Good timing!

I saw this commerical last night, and was put off. I watched Funny Face for the first time several months ago, and really liked it. (I like Audrey in general.) It's just another commercial following the trend of companies using dead celbrities / famous songs to sell their junk. Also on the, er, "dog" list are:

Dockers - for using Etta James' "Sunday Kind of Love" in a pants commerical
Cadillac - for using a Led Zeppelin song to sell cars
Applebees - for remaking a Chuck Berry song

I'm sure I could think of more. What REALLY bothers me is using depictions of dead politicians (Abraham Lincoln and George Washington especially) in commercials, and having who-knows-what kind of stupid jingle or comment come out of their mouth.

 

[Bill O'Rights]

...I offer some consumer interviews done after the Steve McQueen / Mustang commercials aired. Most of those in the younger demographic had no idea who he was, but they agreed he was a very cool-looking guy. Evidently some things DO cross generations, and cool may be one of them.

That kind of cool is timeless.

In so far as the latest gap ads. I didn't like it at first. I thought that it was a little...I dunno...low end? In any event, after my initial reaction, I thought...why not? maybe it'll help to introduce some kids to a little culture. Of that part, I'm pretty sure that Audrey woud approve.

Oh...and I also hated the Fred astaire ads, but loved the Harley Earl ads. Yeah, I know...there really is no rhyme or reason. Just my thoughts.