Gap has partnered with Hailey Bieber for a limited-edition denim collection inspired by the brand’s iconic 1996 silhouettes, the year of Bieber’s birth. The campaign highlights relaxed denim fits—including the Extra Baggy and Low Rise Loose—set within a reimagined ’90s bedroom scored to The Cranberries’ “Linger” and captured by photographer Mario Sorrenti and director Charlie Di Placido.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the spot.
The Details:
- The Hailey Jean” :55 delivered the strongest overall response of multiple Gap long-form spots over the past two years, representing both the strongest creative execution and the strongest commercial performer:
- Overall response (as measured by Ace Score) landed +54 pts above the one-year specialty apparel norm and the ad delivered above-norm breakthroughs (Attention and Likeability) and Watchability. Aided by the Cranberries’ “Linger” audio track (rated Single Best Thing by a disproportionately high 16% of viewers vs a 6% norm), this execution sparked distinct nostalgia. Word cloud summary language reinforced this positive breakthrough — terms like jeans, gap, good, music, and Hailey dominated in green, with almost no negative language surfacing (only a small mention of “boring”).
- There was no meaningful gap between entertainment value and substance. The ad paired an emotionally resonant, nostalgia-driven experience with real movement on Information, Desire and Relevance, suggesting viewers weren’t just entertained — they came away feeling the brand mattered to them personally.
- As a result, “The Hailey Jean” appealed across gender and generation and outpaced the average category spot among women of all ages and males 18-35. The latter, as well as women 18-49 as expected were the power audiences.
- Persuading successfully, a single view influenced 52% to positive intent (beating the category benchmark by a healthy +8 pts).
- Overall response (as measured by Ace Score) landed +54 pts above the one-year specialty apparel norm and the ad delivered above-norm breakthroughs (Attention and Likeability) and Watchability. Aided by the Cranberries’ “Linger” audio track (rated Single Best Thing by a disproportionately high 16% of viewers vs a 6% norm), this execution sparked distinct nostalgia. Word cloud summary language reinforced this positive breakthrough — terms like jeans, gap, good, music, and Hailey dominated in green, with almost no negative language surfacing (only a small mention of “boring”).
- Second-by-second trace results reflect a slow opening until the audio track kicked in and ultimately Hailey Bieber was on full camera. Still, long periods of flat engagement suggest opportunity for shorter cuts and/or the use of non-skippable media for the long-form, particularly for repeat exposures:
- Viewer sentiment confirms that the spot successfully tapped into powerful nostalgic emotions and created strong brand affinity among viewers who connected with the 1990’s references.
- The nostalgic positioning was Gap’s strongest asset. The combination of “Linger,” dial-up internet references, CD players, and cultural markers created authentic emotional resonance with Gen X and older Millennials who have significant purchasing power. The minimalist blue aesthetic and bedroom sanctuary concept also resonated strongly.
- Interestingly, several viewers noted a disconnect between the nostalgic messaging (targeting Gen X/Millennials) and the Gen Z celebrity spokesperson.
- Music licensing was money well spent. “Linger” served as an instant emotional trigger that transported viewers back to the 1990s, creating the exact mindset for nostalgic purchasing decisions.
- However, the slower approach worked for engaged viewers but risked losing attention in shorter-attention-span contexts (social media, skippable pre-roll) as some boredom was sparked. It is worth testing whether a :15 or :30 cut could perform comparably on overall response and Top 2 Box, at a lower media cost per airing to drive high reach.
- Viewer sentiment confirms that the spot successfully tapped into powerful nostalgic emotions and created strong brand affinity among viewers who connected with the 1990’s references.
Sample Comments on The :55 “The Hailey Jean”
“I LOVED THIS AD!! The Cranberries’ ‘Linger’ is a song that takes me back to my youth every time I hear it. I was born in 1985 so I was 11 in 1996. I remember ALL the things this ad talks about. Dialing up the internet, your bedroom being ‘your sanctuary,’ knowing my friends screen names, really cool comfortable clothes and jeans especially. I’m thinking the girl is Hailey Baldwin (The Bieber’s wife), not 100% sure I needed to know that 1996 was the year she was born, but heck it’s only 11 years behind me. It made me feel a little old when she said that, but not too bad. 😉”
Female 36-49
“I really enjoyed hearing the song, ‘Linger’ by The Cranberries. It brought back fond memories of my childhood years in the 1990s. Hearing the voiceover man speak about everything I went through during that time was a nice touch. Those were the 2 best elements of this advertisement.”
Male 36-49
“You referenced 1996. Why not show someone who was more popular and probably alive around that time if you’re trying to create an ad with nostalgia. That Bieber chick made no sense.”
Male 36-49
“Oh my goodness, ‘Linger’ is SUCH a good song for this ad! The Cranberries is such a good music group, I am SUPER hyped about this ad! No idea who this girl is in the ad, but she’s alright.”
Female 18-35
“The nostalgia was great. I love the song choice and including Hailey Bieber was smart because it brings in a whole other audience.”
Female 18-35
“I loved the visuals in the ad that strike a sense of nostalgia in those who were around in 1996. The music paired well with the visuals and the celebrity cameo is cleverly done.”
Male 18-35
“I like how the ad is nostalgic. The ad does a great job of showcasing the product. The ad is good at making you remember it’s for Gap jeans.”
Female 36-49
“This brought me back to when my kids were young and life was so much better. The jeans are great! I’ve actually been trying to find some style like that, so I’m in!”
Female 50+
“I LOVE EVERYTHING. It’s unique and caught my attention immediately with the little cd player at the beginning. The music is so cute and matches the minimal but melancholy(?) vibe it sort of gives off with all this blue and loneliness. Love it.”
Female 18-35
“Oooohhhh…… I enjoyed this ad, it brought me through a number of different feelings and reflections *sigh* I definitely am kind of curious to know how these jeans would fit me and how they feel… Anything to snap me out of the nostalgic mindset and sensation that I just picked up from watching that ad lol (again, *sigh*, the world is so different now..).”
Female 36-49
“I liked the idea and the music and most of the visuals but I was a bit confused about the message and the combination of a Gen Z person with an ad that seems to be meant to appeal to Millennials or Gen X.”
Female 36-49
“I loved the use of ‘Linger’ by The Cranberries but I wasn’t totally sure what was being advertised at first.”
Male 36-49
“It’s kinda bland and no way anyone is sitting there for a minute unless it is unskippable.”
Male 18-35
“The 1990s nostalgia bait with The Cranberries is crazy effective. Learning it was for uncomfortable jeans was disappointing.”
Male 18-35
- “The Hailey Jean” outperformed every prior Gap spot reviewed on overall response as well as every creative component — and Top 2 Box purchase intent — no other campaign over this period came close:
- It also stood apart on emotional tone, nailing the nostalgia with the inclusion of so many cultural connection points:
- Moreover, this spot stood apart for the creative balance achieved while earlier Gap ads tended to see viewers focus on a single element, such as the visuals or the music, which ended up being confusing or perceived as less informative on the product.
- Earlier ads sparked stronger Inappropriate, WTF, But and Awful signals, the former frequently indicating that the content did not connect viewers to a product or sense of the brand in a clear manner.
- While the Audio and/or the characters were frequently noted as more impressionable than the average specialty store spot, none of Gap’s earlier ads delivered the nostalgic vibes at a level close to “The Hailey Jean.” The music was key, but the ad did not rely only on music or celebrity to deliver the emotional connection.
- Moreover, this spot stood apart for the creative balance achieved while earlier Gap ads tended to see viewers focus on a single element, such as the visuals or the music, which ended up being confusing or perceived as less informative on the product.
- “The Hailey Jean” aligned similarly in performance metrics to Gap’s recent Old Navy :15 “Summer Barbecue” featuring Paris Hilton, and an L.L. Bean :15 spot on their classic Tote:
- However, “The Hailey Jean” enjoyed the strongest appeal among younger viewers 18-35 and maintained the highest consumer consideration.
- Results support increased budget to support broad reach media, if desired.
- However, “The Hailey Jean” enjoyed the strongest appeal among younger viewers 18-35 and maintained the highest consumer consideration.
- Viewer verbatims and trace results on prior Gap ads developed to integrate music, fashion and culture yielded higher levels of viewer fatigue and/or confusion which negatively impacted engagement:
Ineffective creative, even if delivered to the right audience, results in missed opportunity and performance shortfalls. Great creative delivered poorly also results in failed campaigns.
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