Last week, we kicked off our Team That’s Got Your Back(side) content series, where we introduce you to some of the many incredible team members who have been part of bringing Old Navy’s new Denim Fit Experience to life. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share their stories on the project, perspectives on their roles, and most importantly, what it’s like to work at Old Navy.
Last week you heard from Melissa Caminiti. Today, Lauren Bradshaw, Old Navy’s Marketing Editorial Director is in the spotlight.
Please introduce yourself!
Hi! 👋 My name is Lauren Bradshaw, and I’m the Editorial Director on Old Navy’s Creative Marketing Team. I originally got my start writing for women’s magazines over 15 years ago before working in online media, then transitioned to e-commerce. I’ve been at Gap Inc. now for three and a half years!
Old Navy is known across the globe for on-trend, playfully optimistic, affordable and high-quality products. What is it like to work in Marketing for a household name-brand?
We’re a part of our customers’ lives and the memories they’re building with their families—I can’t tell you how many people I saw in our flag tees at my local 4th of July parade this year! There’s something so rewarding about that. Plus, with inflation and knowing how expensive life is right now for so many families, I love that we offer such great clothes at an incredible value.
From product campaigns to the loyalty program, your experience at ON has been pretty extensive. How do you define success across each project?
One thing our editorial strategy targets is how to get closer to the customer. Every project has to start from there, whether it’s focus group testing, combing through customer product reviews, or polling people via an Instagram story. So when we talk about success, I think it has to be based on whether you’re connecting with the customer and bettering their experience. Are we making shopping easier? Are we making it more fun? It’s not just driving click-through or getting people in stores, it’s also about increasing the brand love. We’re a very loved brand, so that means every project has a lot to uphold. There’s a high level of responsibility!
Since Old Navy was founded in 1994, denim has been part of the bread and butter of what the brand has to offer. What is most exciting about this new Denim Fit Experience?
I mean, the abundance of option is pretty astounding! Three years ago when I started at Old Navy, it was all about the Rockstar Super-Skinny. Then it was all about the straight fits; first our Boyfriend Straight, then our OG Straight. Now we have 20+ options, including super of-the-moment styles like Wide Leg and Flare. But the point is, you might find your “it” fit in something you never expected, because the shopping experience is sharper. Hopefully, by showing so many incredible styles via an experience that’s easy to navigate, we can convince our customer to venture beyond their usual go-to. To experiment! Have fun with it! Live a little!
What does Old Navy’s new Denim Fit Experience mean for the customer?
One thing we heard at the beginning of this project was that our customers didn’t understand the difference between our jeans. I don’t blame them—it can get overwhelming! But the new Denim Fit Experience arms our customer with all the info they need to choose the best jean for them, in a way that’s clear and more digestible than ever before.
For stores, we created new signage that makes it easier to see and understand the fit of each jean. Online, we’re doing something we really haven’t seen at other value retailers our size—with an incredible compare tool that has detailed info on each fit, even down to the inches in the leg opening. It provides a quick snapshot of how our fits differ, but I’d also suggest using it to find a jean that’s comparable to your favorite competitor fit—because let’s be real, one of the things we’re best known for is our value pricing. 😉
What is your go-to denim bottom at Old Navy?
The Wide Leg! The quality feels like a great vintage pair, it has an extra high-rise waist, and it breaks at just the right spot for what our stylists call a “puddle” at the bottom. It harkens back to my favorite wide-leg jeans from the late ‘90s and early ‘00s—old-school fans of dELiA*s know what I’m talking about. They make me feel much cooler than I am, ha!
Your role and team both seem like a lot of fun. Tell us more!
I Iove our Editorial Team, and the Creative Team and Marketing Team as a whole! Not only are the people brilliant, but they make me laugh on the daily—you should see some of the ridiculous threads in our Copy Teams chat. Most importantly, they’re just good souls. I know the term “empathetic leader” gets thrown around a lot, but we have so many leaders who model that behavior and really encourage an environment where we can show up authentically every day.
Marketing team magic! Thanks, Lauren. Sounds like delivering dream denim is just the start. Like what you see? Join our team of bold, creative trailblazers as we build one of the world’s largest apparel brands, committed to the democracy of service and style for all.
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