Gap Inc.
February 15, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO – February 15, 2008 – Ever imagine what your favorite color sounds like? This spring, Gap is offering you the chance to discover the sound of color through five original songs composed and recorded by five emerging musicians. Gap is also partnering with five filmmakers to interpret each original song into a music video. From now until March 15, you can visit www.soundofcolor.com to listen to and enjoy free downloads of original songs by The Blakes, Dntel, Marié Digby, the Raveonettes and Swizz Beatz, as well as watch the music videos and catch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.
THE MUSICIANS
The Blakes, a Seattle-based indie rock group featuring brothers Snow and Garnet Keim, interpreted blue in a bittersweet song (“Magic”) with a light, upbeat sound.
Electronic music artist Dntel used the color red to write a song (“Turning Red”) about feelings of insecurity – even embarrassment – that can accompany love and relationships.
Marié Digby (pronounced Mar-ee-AY), a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, who recently captured the attention of the global YouTube audience, wrote a beautiful, melodic song (“Paint Me In Your Sunshine) about the color yellow.
The Raveonettes, a Danish post-punk duo, interpreted black and white in a soulful, rhythmic song (“Black/White”) that explores the idea of contrasts.
Swizz Beatz, a hip-hop artist and producer, used the color green to record a fresh, energetic song (“Candy Paint”) about a drop top car driving through the streets of Miami.
“Music has always been a significant part of Gap’s history, so we’re always thinking of new ways to connect with people through music,” said Dennis Leggett, creative director for Gap brand. “With much of today’s music being consumed digitally and shared online, we wanted to create an online experience where people could discover new, original songs and share them with fellow music lovers.”
To bring these songs to life visually, Gap partnered with five acclaimed directors to create music videos to accompany each song. Each video interprets color in a visual format and will be featured on www.soundofcolor.com as part of the Sound of Color experience.
THE DIRECTORS
Russ Lamoureux, a commercial director with Biscuit, tells the story of a boy named Cody who wants to break free from his life as a 14-year old in his video for The Blakes’ “Magic.” A former copywriter, Russ has directed TV spots for such brands as Toyota and Heineken.
Creative duo Mary Fagot and James Frost of Blip Boutique used emotions associated with red – love, insecurity, confusion, lust, embarrassment – as inspiration for Dntel’s “Turning Red” video. James is an award winning music video director whose credits include Coldplay and Norah Jones, while Mary is the former creative director for Capitol, Virgin and Dreamworks Records. Together they’ve directed and produced video content for Interpol, the White Stripes and Ok Go!
An up-and-coming talent, director Ryan Ebner at HSI Productions collaborated with contemporary/street artist Ellis Gallagher (a.k.a. (C)Ellis G.) to create the video for Marié Digby’s “Paint Me In Your Sunshine.” The video follows Ellis around Los Angeles as he draws outlines of objects that create shadows in chalk as a creative expression of the play between sunshine and shadows.
Chris Do is the founder and chief creative force of Blind whose credits include commercials for brands such as Scion and Fox Sports, as well as music videos for Justin Timberlake, Gnarls Barkley and Jet. For the Raveonettes "Black/White" video, Chris explored light and shadow, as well as the opposing and contradictory forces black and white represent.
Tom Gatsoulis, a commercial and music video director with Boxer Films, directed Swizz Beatz’ “Candy Paint.” Set on rural highway, the video is a fast-paced story of good will and humanity. Tom has worked with hip-hop artist LL Cool J and directed campaigns for brands such as ESPN and PlayStation.
In addition to being able to download the original songs for free for 30 days and view the videos at www.soundofcolor.com, you can also watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage – including interviews with the artists.
Sound of Color was developed jointly by Gap and Rehab, a San Francisco-based production company.
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc. is a leading international specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Piperlime brand names. Fiscal 2006 sales were $15.9 billion. Gap Inc. operates more than 3,100 stores in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Ireland and Japan. In addition, Gap Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements for Gap and Banana Republic in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. For more information, please visit gapinc.com.
Don’t miss out on the latest Gap Inc. news! Sign-up to get email alerts about news on Gap Inc. and our brands.