Gap’s Fabiola Torres and Disney’s Carrie Matson on the recent Collegiate collection – and the key to the brands’ decade-long partnership

Fabiola, Carrie, it’s great to connect. Disney and Gap have a long-standing relationship, and you’ve expanded on this recently with a new Collegiate collection. What makes this new launch an exciting development for both brands?
Fabiola Torres, Chief Marketing Officer, Gap: With nearly 10 years of a successful partnership, it was an opportunity to turn up the heat by creating an elevated, style-forward and limited-edition collection that represents the next phase in this collaboration. My focus is on driving brand relevance for Gap, and we have this amazing collaborator in Disney who exemplifies deep customer connection and brand love… I was excited to tap into that opportunity and do something new.

You mention this partnership is close to being a decade-long one! What has been key to the success of the brands’ collaboration to date?
Fabiola: Our relationship has always delivered timeless and classic pieces that can be cherished forever or passed down and loved again. These are two brands who deeply respect one another and want to deliver something special to our customers.

If we go back to the beginning of the creative process on this Collegiate range, why was this an exciting design direction to take things?
Fabiola: The products in this collection give our customer an entirely new way to show their love for Mickey and Friends with elevated, on-trend, ‘90s varsity styles. The rich colour palate and patchwork prints seamlessly connects our product icons with Disney’s beloved characters in unexpected ways.

Can you talk us through some design details across that the range that you’re especially proud of?
Fabiola: My favourite piece is the Gap x Disney Oversized Oxford Shirt because I appreciate the attention to detail. The shirt features the full Mickey & Friends cast on the back and has a special embroidered Mickey on the pocket. It has a super soft hand feel, and I love the oversized ‘90s fit that can be styled in so many ways.

I love the way the collection is styled in our creative expression as well – fashion forward, and a way for the whole family to be styled and make memories together.

Carrie, let’s bring you in! You launched the range in an interesting way – with a fan fest experience at a Georgia vs. Alabama football game. What did this entail?
Carrie Matson, VP, Marketing Strategy NA: Our goal with the Collegiate Collection launch was to create an in-person experience that met the target audience exactly where they are, incorporated the products organically – and showcased Mickey & Friends in fun and new ways. College came to mind, which led us to football season.

When it comes to college football matchups, the University of Georgia vs. University of Alabama game has always been highly anticipated. From there, we developed a multipronged approach to host a fan fest at ESPN College GameDay, and an influencer experience centred around “Get Ready for Game Day.”

We then invited those influencers, along with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, to the big game. These efforts resulted in highly engaging and fresh social content from a diverse group of creators, all of whom genuinely loved the Gap x Disney Collegiate collection.

Do you feel these creative experience-led efforts can be powerful tools to promote collaborations these days?
Carrie: Experience-led programs are crucial for engaging modern audiences. Young adults seek experiences where they can interact with products and brands and make them their own. Looking at what inspires virality on social media – OOTDs (outfits of the day) and GRWMs (get ready with me)… We knew we wanted to launch this collection in a fresh, new way – and our “Get Ready with Mickey & Friends” influencer experience brings this insight to life.

“It’s important we surprise and inspire our consumers by collaborating with brands that share our values.”

Our partnership with ESPN College GameDay allowed us to reach a broad audience, with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse joining students in Collegiate Collection outfits for a national on-air broadcast segment. And the in-person event enabled us to connect with our key target and showcase the GAP × Disney Collegiate Collection in a fun and authentic way. Both tactics allowed us to do something out-of-the-box and reach new consumers in spaces where we don’t usually activate.

Absolutely. And what do you feel is key to successful creative collaborations, like this one?
Fabiola: It’s important we surprise and inspire our consumers by collaborating with brands that share our values and are equally focused on delivering the best products and services throughout the entire shopping experience. We also want to welcome and capture the attention of Disney lovers and fans. It was especially fun to connect with Disney for College GameDay and bring this collaboration to life in new ways.

One last question! What should we expect from future Gap × Disney drops as part of the expanded relationship?
Fabiola: We want to continue to create limited edition collections that bring to life Disney’s beloved franchises in style-forward ways. We encourage you to follow along on Gap and Disney Style social channels for news on Gap and Disney’s full ecosystem!

Will do! Thanks again.