Reuters July 16, 2003
Madonna Signs on as Pitch Woman for Gap Stores

NEW YORK - She made her name wearing risque, provocative clothes few would wear in public, but now
Madonna has become a pitch woman for Gap Inc. -- the biggest U.S. clothing store chain.

Back in the 1980s, Madonna burst onto the scene wearing lingerie and pointy bras designed by haute couture master Jean Paul Gaultier. Now the Material Girl is hawking the khakis and denims that are the most common clothes worn by Americans.

The pop star will appear in Gap's fall advertising campaign, spokeswomen for both parties said on Wednesday.

San Francisco-based Gap, the biggest U.S. specialty retailer, said the company has signed Madonna as well as rapper Missy Elliott to appear in upcoming television commercials.

More than anything else, Madonna is known, both musically and fashion wise, as a chameleon able to reinvent her image to stay on the cutting edge of pop culture. Gap made its name by selling predictable, preppy, affordable clothing that appeals more to average Americas than to fashion mavens.

Marketing experts applauded the move as a coup for Gap. She's connected inexorably in our minds to the fashion world.

Having her connected to the Gap is fantastic for their brand," said Nicki Gondell, president of New York-based marketing consulting firm Trend House.

"She is a master of expressing herself and she can give style and pizazz to anything," she added.

Madonna has done few endorsements over the years. In 1989, Pepsi pulled a commercial featuring the singer, claiming that too many people confused the ad with her controversial "Like a Prayer" music video, which offended Catholics.

Gap faces a critical test this fall, when it must prove it can keep increasing its sales. The retailer recently began to win back customers after a narrow focus on teen-oriented trendy clothes set off a two-year decline in sales.

The younger Madonna seemed to thrive on provoking outrage with raunchy sexual imagery. Today, the 44-year-old married mother of two is usually noted for her family life, her practice of yoga, or her forthcoming children's books.

Experts said she could help Gap attract America's soccer moms after efforts to attract younger customers fell short.

"Gap went for a younger image and it didn't work for them. So I think they want to go back and attract the soccer moms. She's a mom herself, she not the teeny-bopper anymore," said Charlene Li, media and marketing analyst for Forrester Research.

Madonna's newest album "American Life" has topped charts in the United States and Britain despite brutal reviews. But her latest movie "Swept Away" was a critical and commercial flop.

Not everybody was impressed by Madonna's link-up with Gap.

"Neither the Gap nor Madonna are at the top of their game. So if they wanted to mix their reputation with someone of equal quality, they certainly have done that. And I don't mean that in a favorable way," said Paul Argenti, professor of corporate communications at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.