Gap’s ‘Better in Denim’ Campaign Marks A Bold Cultural Comeback

Staging a cultural comeback, blending Y2K nostalgia with Gen Z energy and so much more. Gap x KATSEYE’s viral 'Better in Denim' campaign claimed its place at the intersection of fashion, music, and internet culture. Recently, The Gap has been collabling with some amazing celebrities, brands and musical personalities and groups. Call it a comeback, call it a cultural reset, call it whatever you want - all we know is that everyone's calling on Gap for denim now!

Gap’s love affair with music collabs isn’t new. Remember 2008’s Sound of Colour campaign? They tapped up-and-coming musicians to soundtrack their ads, pretty bold for a brand known mostly for denim and hoodies.

Fast forward, and Gap’s been remixing that same formula: pair a killer track with effortless styling and a celeb/musical collab, then watch it explode online.

Case in point: the 2024 “Linen Moves” campaign, where the collective “Jungle” and amazing afrobeats sensation, Tyla (yes, Water Tyla) recreated the dance from Jungle’s mega-viral hit Back on 74 

Gap’s latest campaign? A denim-drenched collab with global girl group KATSEYE for their Fall 2025 campaign, cheekily titled Better in Denim. And trust me, this one isn’t just a campaign, it’s a cultural moment!

The six-member group serves six distinct denim looks, from pleated mini-skirts with cropped jackets to oversized, baggy Aaliyah-coded jeans. It’s Y2K nostalgia without the cringe, think early-2000s MTV, but make it global Gen Z. All to the soundtrack of Kelis’s “Milkshake.” 

Gap has managed to make the most quotable Y2K anthem the backing track to your next pair of jeans. Choreographed by Robbie Blue, the video is a mash-up of jazz, funk, hip-hop, ballet, and Fosse flair, all while proving that Gap jeans can drop into the splits without splitting.

Now, was this perfectly timed?

Recently, American Eagle dropped their own denim ad with no other than Sydney Sweeney, the woman of odd ads. Whether it was planned or not, Gap’s timing of their own campaign was immaculate! Just weeks after American Eagle’s “Good Jeans” campaign was dragged online for being… well… awkward, at BEST, Gap dropped Better in Denim.

The internet noticed. Comments poured in: “Now THIS is the jeans ad we wanted.” - “KATSEYE has great jeans ;)” - “Best jeans and genes.”

By letting AE’s flop fizzle first, Gap got to avoid being lumped together with AE’s backlash in the sense that, yes, they would've got great press; however, the talk around the denim would've died out at the same speed, if not faster than Sydney's ad.

This way, the company still has the mistakes of their competitors to ride on, and they can stand on their own alongside KATSEYE, of course, who has been picking up a lot of traction lately.

Gap has essentially positioned itself as the antidote. Petty? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

This isn’t just a denim drop; it’s part of Gap’s wider revival strategy. Under new leadership, they’ve been leaning into music, dance, and cultural collabs to stay relevant. From Tyla’s twirls to KATSEYE’s Milkshake shake-up, Gap is staking its claim at the intersection of fashion, music, and internet culture.

And it’s working. Media outlets are calling this campaign Gap’s most viral ad in years. TikTok can’t stop remixing it. Fashion mags are saying Gap finally made jeans ads cool again.

Gap has always been about basics. But with KATSEYE twirling, shaking, and body-rolling in perfect denim fits, they’re proving there’s nothing basic about a brand that knows how to ride culture’s wave at exactly the right time.

So yeah, consider this your sign: it really is better in denim!