Five Fun Things We Love About Old Navy

The name Old Navy conjures up playful TV ads and a favorite store to shop for low priced fashion-forward clothing. We’ve compiled a few fun things about Old Navy you might not know.

How Old Navy Got Its Name
One of the names under consideration before Old Navy was chosen by its founder Millard Drexler was Forklift.  Would you buy clothing from a store named Forklift? The name Old Navy was actually copied from a café in Paris that Drexler happened to see on a walk as he strolled the city of lights.

Where the Idea for Old Navy Originated
Old Navy was actually established as Gap Warehouse. Then Drexler read about competitors in a trade journal who were considering launching stores that offered a cheaper version of Gap style clothing. In order to fight fire with fire he got his staff together and found a way to manufacture clothes that were similar to Gap but cheaper to produce. It was an immediate success.

Old Navy’s Advertising
One thing in common with all Old Navy ads is they’re playful, colorful and kitschy. Most people can remember at least one particular ad. Originally Old Navy’s advertising presented celebrities in artistic settings. Stars such as Lil’ Kim, Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Kristin Chenoweth wearing Old Navy clothing made teens and tweens take notice. Then for a time around 2006 a couple of pooches acted as mascots; a terrier named Magic and a Chihuahua named Paco. Happy families participating in wholesome activities wearing Old Navy fashions have also been featured. In 2007 their advertising changed to in-house production. Ads following a sixties theme with up and coming musicians playing new songs were a fresh approach from Old Navy. Most recently the ad agency Crispin + Porter were hired and it was their firm that created the mannequin ads.

Old Navy Stores are Everywhere
According to Yahoo Finance, Old Navy has 1035 stores in North America as of July 2010.  That means unless you live in the remote tundra of Alaska you can find an Old Navy store near you.

Everyone is Old Navy’s Favorite Customer
On their LinkedIn page they claim over 350,000,000 customers enter their stores each year. If you like reasonably priced fashion and love casual, trendy clothes, are aged baby to adult, then you are most likely an Old Navy customer. Their crew neck t-shirts and beach flip-flops are legend. Their all-America styles for maternity clothes, kids clothes, women’s clothes and men’s clothes are always in demand.

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