Gap Issues Apology For Racially-Charged Ad.

The Gap Ad


Over the past weekend, several Twitter users brought attention to a pretty problematic ad tweeted out by the Gap’s official account.

The ad (pictured above) was part of a campaign meant to highlight talented young girls. The images were created for a collaboration project between Ellen DeGeneres and GapKids, an activewear line for girls called GapKids x ED.

While the other young ladies are showing off their talents in the campaign, the sole black girl is simply being used as an armrest. The stark difference was swiftly called out. And many users, the mothers of black daughters, vowed not to shop at the Gap or any of its affiliated stores.

To their credit, the retailer responded with an apology, as well as plans to rectify the situation.

“As a brand with a proud 46-year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we’ve offended,” Gap spokeswoman Debbie Felix said in a statement to Co.Create. “This GapKids campaign highlights true stories of talented girls who are celebrating creative self-expression and sharing their messages of empowerment. We are replacing the image with a different shot from the campaign, which encourages girls (and boys) everywhere to be themselves and feel pride in what makes them unique.”

So far the original image has been swapped out for something more balanced on the brands official website.

The Gap Ad