Gap Japan 30th Anniversary Promotion

Gap began its journey as a shop selling denim and records.
As the brand celebrates its 30th Anniversary in Japan, monopo revisited this core DNA and positioned Gap’s deep connection with music culture as a new foundation for the brand.
“Denim and Records Reimagined” reflects the intention to reintroduce Gap’s timeless style—one that can be enjoyed freely by anyone, regardless of era or generation.

In Japan, the fact that denim and records are part of Gap’s origins has not been widely recognized.
With this in mind, the theme of reconnecting with its roots and highlighting its relationship with music, became a consistent thread throughout the project.

As the first phase of the campaign, we created a T-shirt collection inspired by the “Back 2 Back” style of DJing, where two DJs perform together as a pair.
Ten artists from different generations and creative backgrounds teamed up in pairs to translate their unique perspectives into T-shirt designs, blending their sensibilities to generate new forms of expression.

monopo selected the artists featured on the front of each T-shirt.
By having each of those artists introduce the collaborator designing the back, the project not only showcased emerging talent but also reinforced the brand’s values.

By elevating the quality of mockups for the advertising visuals during the production stage, we were able to align closely with the client’s expectations and creative vision. This enabled us to produce the key visuals smoothly and ultimately led to a more efficient rollout across social media.

For the second phase of the campaign, we transformed Harajuku GATE into an experiential event space that brought Gap’s journey of “denim and music” to life.

The event featured a range of cultural experiences: “Denim Brannan” by artist Aoi Shimizu, an exhibition combining vintage and current Gap pieces curated by Sean Wotherspoon, and live performances by record DJs such as Licaxxx and Captain Vinyl. We also installed a Photomatic booth with original frames, where many visitors enjoyed capturing their own denim looks.

Over the course of four days, the event attracted more than 2,000 attendees, creating an immersive space where people could experience the deep connection between Gap, music, and denim.

The graphics, videos, T-shirts, and event experiences created for this project were widely deployed across retail stores, social media, and advertising. Beyond revisiting Gap’s heritage, the initiative focused on cultivating anticipation for the brand’s future, designing the experience not as a one-off moment, but as lasting brand value.

The project also showcased monopo’s unique strengths: our culture-driven creative approach and our ability to leverage a strong network of DJs and artists. These capabilities played a key role in shaping a campaign deeply rooted in culture and community.