They failed to bridge the bipartisan “Gap.”
Clothing company Gap has received a fierce backlash after advertising a unifying red and blue sweatshirt amid pending election results.
“The one thing we know, is that together, we can move forward,” reads the caption to the controversial video promo, which had more than 700,000 views before it was deleted from Twitter. The two-second clip depicts the dual-colored couture getting zipped up in an apparent metaphor for Democrats and Republicans coming together post-election.
Needless to say, Gap’s attempt at a political armistice was deemed tone-deaf by the online masses.
“No,” tweeted one critic of the brand’s detente efforts.
Another slammed them for attempting to cash in on election tensions. “Contested election? Time to sell sweatshirts!” they wrote. Some outraged social media justice warriors likened the message to a dangerous compromise with the KKK, while others compared it to a lightweight solution to the divide on the battlefields of a civil war — both historic and potential.
Gap reps now admit it’s too much, too soon.
“From the start we have been a brand that bridges the gap between individuals, cultures and generations,” Ana Serafin Smith, director of specialty brands communications for GAP, told The Post. “The intention of our social media post, that featured a red and blue hoodie, was to show the power of unity. It was just too soon for this message. We remain optimistic that our country will come together to drive positive change for all.”
After a flurry of incendiary tweets, some customers came to the defense of the casual fashion brand.
“You monsters made GAP delete a tweet that encouraged people to move forward together?” one Twitter user posted. “No matter who wins, this insanity isn’t going anywhere.”
