Recently, I signed up for Old Navy’s e-mail notifications through Gap’s e-newsletter, and received my first email this morning. This invited me to check out Old Navy’s micosite and create my very own Supermodelquin? The name itself made me curious, and I recalled the commercials from weeks before, so I decided to click on the link and see what was to come.

My first e-newsletter from Old Navy

Creating my own character and dressing her with Old Navy clothes and accessories was a lot of fun. It did exactly what the advertising intended; it made me want to go into the store and try on all of the clothes myself!

After making my character, watching a YouTube video on the campaign, registering and voting on the tv spots + other “Supermodelquin creations,” and downloading my $5 coupon for voting, I became more and more curious about the campaign and the ad agency who worked with Old Navy on the project

Just a side note, the winner not only gets cast in plastic but will also star in Old Navy ads and receive $100,000. I’m guessing they also get to keep the mannequin after Old Navy is finished with it, which would defiantly be an interesting home-decorating decision!

Google assisted me in quickly finding that Crispin Porter + Bogusky, a very well known and respected ad agency in the industry, works with Old Navy on their marketing and helped to develop this advertising concept and media plan for the Supermodelquin.

My SuperModelQuin

One additional way Old Navy is getting customers in the door is a link on the Old Navy website (OldNavyWeekly.com), which allows visitors to print out coupons for weekly deals redeemable at Old Navy stores!

In my search I also found that the target audience for this  campaign is a mom named “Jenny” who’s 25 to 35 years old (Jennifer was a popular name for that age group). Jenny shops on a budget, but doesn’t want her apparel or that of her family to be frumpy. It is evident that CP+B did an extensive amount of research for this project and recognizes the power of social media, our societies fascination with reality television, and knowing how these things affects the target audience. I was not only able to create my own character, but save it for my Facebook and Twitter photo. I could even vote on the tv spots that Old Navy ran in the different phases of the campaign. By involving customers in the advertising experience, clients are able to grow a relationship and become loyal to a particular brand. The agency successfully bridged the gap between my generations reliability on the internet and getting customers in the door.

Old Navy Supermodelquin Microsite

I give this advertising campaign an A+ for creativity and an A+ for knowing and understanding the target audience by using new media to interact.