GAP: new vs. old

A couple of days ago a well known chain of retail clothing stores GAP returned to its old logo after confirming their new logo just four days before. "We chose this design as it's more contemporary and current. It honors our heritage through the blue box while still taking it forward," said Marka Hansen, Gap North America president. Apparently the customers didn't like it according to the online poll results. The logo, was created by New York agency Laird & Partners. After what happened GAP suggested that design professionals should help fix the mistake by offering up ideas for free.

First of all I don't see the point of changing the logo. People know the brand, the old logo has helped to build this perception of the brand: a brand awareness. Why braking it with something new. I understand they tried to change something...toward the future...new and fresh. But I don't think the logo is what should be changed. They should have looked at their other fields.

To be honest the new logo is awful. Before even throwing it into public, how did they got so far into the process without realizing how horrible and boring the new design was. Feels like one of the designers came up with it, kept it in secret from others, suggested it to one of the members of the GAP team and this person without consulting with anybody decided according to his/her taste that the new logo is good enough to replace the old one. It's just how I feel about the story.

Then next thing that makes me wondering...why the advertising agency should offer the new ideas for free? I do not really agree it was their fault. I mean of course the work they did was awful, but GAP had full rights to refuse to accept the work. Nobody forced them to take the idea. They could easily just reject it and say that they are not satisfied with what they are paying for, ask for a new one or find another agency. Seems like they didn't do that, that means they found the job the designers did totally okay. Now it's kind of a late to accuse somebody else.

                                                    New logo                    Old/current logo