Mind the Gap

Have you heard or seen the buzz about the Gap, the clothing retailer's logo?

After a weird logo week for Gap, they decided to stick to the true & old with its decades-old white-on-navy blue logo in the end. The company swapped the classic logo online for a new logo without mentioning a word! I believe it's okay to say that many fans were not just irritated but disgruntled with such an ugly, ill-fit logo. In an uproar many fans (and graphic designers) of Gap took to online to complain about the unannounced change.

The "new" logo displayed black text on a white background next to a little blue box above and below the "p" in Gap (pictured below).

After 20 years, Gap decided to rebrand and introduce a new logo. This has me wondering as someone interested in Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations, how this re-branding can make or break a company. Why change an already classic and well-known logo? And if change is necessary, how to make the change an relatively easy and smooth process?

Additionally, specifically to Gap, why change only the US online store and keep the UK stores and Facebook page untouched?

I understand Gap is moving towards a new modern look with their clothes but should the logo be revamped as well?

Perhaps, this is just a publicity stunt or even a way for free work... create an awful logo and then ask its customers to create something better. In any case, Gap is back to the Blue Box as of last night.