WHAT'S YA"LL OPINION ON THE COMMON GAP JOINT?

ME PERSONALLY? I LIKE IT.

The more Common and other true lyricists get mainstream and commercial appeal (that's right I said it), the better for hip-hop. We need more and more real life posterboys for the artform.

BTW Com gets props for finding a way to work his "Love Movement" lyrics into the ad !



Ukuzala kukuzolula

I agree.

for gap to recongize true hip hop means tha world has hope as well,
i thought it was chillin

I like what you said. Real Talk

I woulda preferred if he came a bit slower though, unfamiliar heads to the genre ain't hearin him.

the track is fuckin sick.

Just saw it half an hour ago, awsome as fuck, im so stoked on it, big ups to comm.

I work for Old Nvy (part of Gap inc.) and I was reading about it on GapWeb. They're pretty psyched about having Common on board for ads.

Most people die with their music still locked up inside them.
-- Benjamin Disraeli

www.myspace.com/alma_29

LMAO at "peace, love and gap." and com actually acting like that ish means something! come on

other than that glaringly wack nonsense...good beat...

i'm out...PEACE LOVE AND GAP Y'ALL

just more Mcdonilization of hip hop. but im glad Com is makin money, i'd rather have him rappin then jeezy...


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Music http://www.myspace.com/blyrikal
The Business, Let me sell your mixtapes!
http://www.myspace.com/mixtapesareus

My name is in the middle of
equality~ Talib Kweli

i'm all about common exposure and at this point in my life am mature enough to understand doing ads...mike jordan did it...nobody cared...so it's cool to actually see something i like during a timeout in a game...but...

peace love and gap is embarrassing for someone like common to say...let's be serious...and i would like to hear any good argument as to why that's not wack, cause i don't think it's possible!

i'm out...peace love and gap

I thought it was kinda hot...I use to work for Gap and usually their ads are pretty wack...

Peace, Love, and GAP? That just makes me angry. Gap doesn't care about peace or love - only Gap, if they did they wouldn't be making such use of 3rd world children like they do. I know I can't blame them for the existance of sweatshops, but when their ad campaign is about peace and love thats when they are lying to all of us.


I love Comm and he is in my mind a true hip hop artist, but come on - GAP?????

it aint like dude said "...peace, love, NOW GO RAPE A B**CH!!!!!" - just be glad dude is getting his. He aint hurtin nobody...who do you prefer he do an ad for?

Next up: Jesus Christ GAP commercials.

Someone at the Gap really made my day with that one. I hope he made a lot of dough off of that commercial!!!


You don't impress me!!

When i saw the commercial I was disgusted, and I thought I would find similar ideas on this website. I love com, and most of the stuff he does, resurrection is one of the best hiphop CDs ever, and those ads he did promoting aids awareness were really great, but GAP, thats a joke. I don't want to be a hater, but I have to say common is just selling out to a big company that probably paid him a ton of money to do this, and I dont no how people could be supporting his decistion to do ads for gap. I still have respect for him, but hearing him talk about the death of hiphop, "I Used to Love H.E.R.", and then to see that commercial is really disappointing. I still love Com, but Come on.

“Stressin how harcore and real she is / She was really the realest before she got into showbiz.” Common- I Used to love H.E.R.

Hes wack because hes doing a commercial for a big company? Shut up. Are you the type that stops listening to your favorite shit just because it starts to get played on MTV? You should be happy that real hip hop is finally getting exposure and that Comm is getting money for it.

And complaining about the "Peace love and Gap"? Yeah, it has Commmon in it, but its still a fucking AD! What do you expect? Why do you care? You know peace love and gap isnt something he is really passionate about. Hes getting paid to sell a product. Let him get that money. When he starts rhyming about how tight the gap is on his album then you can get mad.

The commercial is dope. Major props to Comm.

lol

There's some truth to that.

http://izmusic.4mg.com

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

>“Stressin how harcore and real she is / She was really the
>realest before she got into showbiz.” Common- I Used to love
>H.E.R.

Mmmmmmm........

I won't even rip into you because it's obvious that you're someone who says shit without completely thinking.

This is Common fool. Not some RAPPER, but an emcee who has ALWAYS stayed true to the art. Check the cadenece and the 1s & 2s to his flow.

I'm done...I'm not wasting anymore finger strokes on your wack ass.







You don't impress me!!

>I'm done...I'm not wasting anymore finger strokes on your wack
>ass.

you talk like resurrection was the last joint he put out..

and if you finished that lyric, things might make a bit more sense to you

i love Common! the commercial was great. i was awestruck when i 1st saw it. i love the colors 2. very radiant!
!V.I.P!

n/m

Common is my favourite MC ever and when I saw the ad for GAP - I was a bit surprised to see Common rappin with GAP clad dancers and dj (where was DJ Dummy?)in the background.

I think the ad itself, as an ad, is pretty cool. The song is pretty good too.

The idea of Com doing an ad for the Gap is the part I'm not so sure about. I can only really form an opinion on it if I knew how Common felt about GAP products, practices, and the company itself. I'm guessing now that this is a company and product that he supports and obviously endorses - and in turn would encourage others to support as well. And if that is the case, then good for him.

It won't make me shop there though.

But I would really like to hear from Com as to WHY he did the ad?

Also, I would like to know what ERYKAH thinks of this ad? After all, wasn't she the one who had him dressin crazy, eatin veggies and wearin shirts extra medium?

Peace.

J.

But I still refuse to get tight pants.

Those colors look nice on him...

I havent really paid attention to whats going on in the background or what he is saying...

you and 99% of the other girls on here.

watch it on mute and still be REALLy happy...lol...

My head starts nodding every time it comes on...and I especially like the fact that it has been on steady rotation. For a commercial, his rhyme was tight. Hope more success keeps coming his way.

good to see common getting exposure.

why's everybody still frontin' like common is this unknown artist...he's pretty damn famous now. i dont think people could miss him in that white ass suit at last year's grammy's. anyway, ill just repeat what i said on the previous post about this, the flow was tight and i like the beat. sounds like he's doing alot of work with will.

anyway, i just thought it was corny how he had to keep saying gap in the rhyme, ruined it for me. it was ok the first time when he just slipped it in, still kinda wack but, the whole love peace and gap pretty much disgusted me. i dont care what company he's doin ads for, its not like com wouldnt actually wear some of that stuff anyway (maybe not electric circus com but g.o.o.d. music com looks like a gap/banana republic ad anyway, for better or for worse, you be the judge).

anyway, plenty of artists have done ads like this, doin a guitar solo, spittin a freestyle, singing some harmonic whateverness and not had to throw in the product name. i just prefer having the illusion that the rhyme wasn't written specifically for this. if somebody came to me and said to write a rhyme about the gap i wouldnt be able to do it, but if someone told me to spit a hot 16 on camera i'd be down. my rhyme would still be my rhyme, it would just happen to be on that commercial, feel me? i never minded artists doin ads and stuff but to me it gets corny when they alter their art for the ad or company in question. take the check, do your thing, but be you while doing it. what da hell does the gap have to do with peace and love? can i really take com serious now anytime he talks about peace and love (which is all the time) or should i just assume he's eluding to a new sale at the gap?

p.s: how is this any better than that nonsense McD's tried to pull?

overall, I think it's a good ad.

Dope lyrics, dope beat, nice color combinations

it was tight

finally some good advertising use of the not-your-every-day-BET mc.

I was surprised when I saw subway ads in the city with Common among a bunch of other celebs...so the commercial is not really a shocker in that sense. I think it's dope -- I won't go out and buy GAP clothes, but it's cool.

But I think someone on another post had a good point: would anyone be pissed off if they saw him in an ad for a more urban brand? I mean, which part is worse, that he's doing ads at all or just that it's for the GAP? Those are two different things.

And by the way, Comm is becoming a recognizable celebrity now, with the success of "Be" and a role in that new movie. So anyone thinking this is 1994 and he's still in his underground "Resurrection" state, needs to realize that he's continuing to grow as an artist and a person...maybe we should not judge him for that. Also, as far as I know, this is his first national commercial (not PSA), and I would think that he's had other opportunities in the past few years at least -- there must be a reason he chose to do this one that's not just about the money. If he wears GAP clothes and likes the brand, I got no problem with that.

I wouldn't say he's underground but he's still on an alternative level. You didn't see Com dropping a lot of videos off of BE getting heavy rotation like some other mainstream hip hop artist was my point.

I'm cool with him doing the ad for GAP. Actually I think it's good exposure to other types of folks rather than being limited by an "urban" label that would limit exposure.

Shit I'd rather GAP vs. Coke or Pepsi anyday.

I already buy Gap jeans (only ones tht fit me right) so I can appreciate a company I ppatronize on occasion reflecting my demographic. Acknoledgement is a good thing and definately ads to m support of their product.

whatever works!

**What people think of me is none of my business." ~O.Winfrey**
http://afeni.com
http://myspace.com/afeni

Anyone thinking this is 1994 & he's still in his Resurrection period hasn't been listening to his albums lately. That's my opinion, his shit is carebear now, warm & soft

just like his aids commercials

I don't think that dude wears Gap, other than that I don't have a problem with the commercials.

Considering the Gap's reputation as a corporation... go to: http://www.knowmore.org/index.php/Gap%2C_Inc. I cant understand why anyone would be excited to see an art form they love used to build up the image of a company that quite frankly, has a dispicable track record in terms of sweat shop labor, environmental violations, etc. So, to answer your question, "what do I think of common's gap ad ?" I suppose I wonder what it is that Common stands for. And, lets say we agree that he is a worthy ambassador for the "hip-hop" world...what does that say about the art form as a whole? I dont believe that Common, or Will I Am (if I am not mistaken he produced the video, correct?) are oblivious to the business practices of the gap, and if they are ignorance is no excuse. I am under the impression that "hip hop" has to do with community, understanding of self and the world around you, your place in it, and not to mention personal responsibily. In the end, If this commercial looks like "good exposure" or an accurate representation of something you enjoy; I suggest doing some research and start holding the artists accountable for what they do and who signs thier paychecks.

Thanks... sorry for the long-winded post.
Autonocycle

its commonlicious....comm common licious


>Considering the Gap's reputation as a corporation... go to:
>http://www.knowmore.org/index.php/Gap%2C_Inc. I cant
>understand why anyone would be excited to see an art form they
>love used to build up the image of a company that quite
>frankly, has a dispicable track record in terms of sweat shop
>labor, environmental violations, etc. So, to answer your
>question, "what do I think of common's gap ad ?" I suppose I
>wonder what it is that Common stands for. And, lets say we
>agree that he is a worthy ambassador for the "hip-hop"
>world...what does that say about the art form as a whole? I
>dont believe that Common, or Will I Am (if I am not mistaken
>he produced the video, correct?) are oblivious to the business
>practices of the gap, and if they are ignorance is no excuse.
>I am under the impression that "hip hop" has to do with
>community, understanding of self and the world around you,
>your place in it, and not to mention personal responsibily. In
>the end, If this commercial looks like "good exposure" or an
>accurate representation of something you enjoy; I suggest
>doing some research and start holding the artists accountable
>for what they do and who signs thier paychecks.
>
>Thanks... sorry for the long-winded post.
>Autonocycle

somebody GETS it.

>Considering the Gap's reputation as a corporation... go to:
>http://www.knowmore.org/index.php/Gap%2C_Inc. I cant
>understand why anyone would be excited to see an art form they
>love used to build up the image of a company that quite
>frankly, has a dispicable track record in terms of sweat shop
>labor, environmental violations, etc. So, to answer your
>question, "what do I think of common's gap ad ?" I suppose I
>wonder what it is that Common stands for. And, lets say we
>agree that he is a worthy ambassador for the "hip-hop"
>world...what does that say about the art form as a whole? I
>dont believe that Common, or Will I Am (if I am not mistaken
>he produced the video, correct?) are oblivious to the business
>practices of the gap, and if they are ignorance is no excuse.
>I am under the impression that "hip hop" has to do with
>community, understanding of self and the world around you,
>your place in it, and not to mention personal responsibily. In
>the end, If this commercial looks like "good exposure" or an
>accurate representation of something you enjoy; I suggest
>doing some research and start holding the artists accountable
>for what they do and who signs thier paychecks.
>
>Thanks... sorry for the long-winded post.
>Autonocycle


You are 100% correct. It is actually amazing to me how so many on this site, have no qualms with someone who is supposed to be a 'consioucs' artist doing an ad with a company that is one of the more egregious violators of everything that conscious artists and their fans allegedly hold dear. Lets not pretend that we are rooting for some underdog guy who is struggling to get by. Does the fact that an artist you like is making money justify whatever he does to make money? I mean, this is actually the Gap were talking about, they have 20+ years in the game, and have a track record that is POOR! This is the same as the Mos Def commerical with Nike. Where are their pricinples, and when is the fact that somebidy pushed a fat check in front of you, not enough to betray what you stand for? Or maybe these guys don't really stand for that much.

Didn't you get it from reading all these posts? Hip-hop stands for getting yours no matter how you do it. Be used like a puppet to make Gap seem hip, with actual good music at least. Sell your art to whoever pays the most for it, no matter what it stands for. It's all good to everyone here. It's not like I'm boycotting Common either, but I think this was a shitty move on his part.

It's COM, Man!!!
What do you think?!!!?!!

I was feeling the Common Gap Ad because I loves me some Common....but that was until I recently listened closely to the words and heard him say something about a Mistletoe.

Now I may be reading too much into this but isn't Common a Muslim? And if he is a Muslim, why is he pushing Xmas on the public?

Other than that, I love looking at and listening to Common wherever I can catch him.

lol at people mad Common is rapping about Gap in a Gap advertisment. What did you think he was gonna do rap about? This is easily the tightest ad on tv right now, we should be happy that one of the best to do it is getting more exposure. Its a pretty tight song anyways Will.i.am. keeps growing on me little by little, im ashamed that i kind of like that new Fergie song, the beat is bannanas. And whats the big deal about the peace, love, and gap line?

I feel like Common's a fucking joke these days. & I even liked that Coke commercial but it's all so outta hand nowadays. This is why Okayplayer posters NEED to hate despite the complaints. Motherfuckers gotta not be pussy & call it like it is, say shit is wack when it's wack & fuck all the hero worship bullshit whether artists promote it or not. Because when people stop being critical & applaud every move, formerly good rappers start popping up on tv talkin about peace love and Gap

Peace, love and The Gap? Corporate bullshit at it's finest. Who the fuck are they co-opting the motto for an anti-war movement?

Com sounds good, but fuck him for that.

I think it's very corny...peace, love & Gap.

But we are talking about familiarizing consumers to the brand. It's an easy phrase for simple people who aren't thinking about anything when they are watching commercials.

Also, alot of corporations are portraying themselves as humanitarians. Starbucks is a good example - their whole appeal gives you this feeling that they give so much to the community and other countries....it's a great feeling (even though it may not be as true as it appears). Sorry to say, Americans like to feel good...if we feel good, we are better consumers.

That rap bullshit...

dude hasnt gone crazy.....

when your "underground" it is easy to have ideals, and come off
righteous.....dude had big time money offered to him to do a commercial for gap and he took the money and ran....

i understand dude has a family to look to set up....but when you do that at by trying to associate a company who is notorious for exploiting people with their sweatshop practices with "peace and love" of all things....you are setting your family up with money not only at the expense of the people working the sweatshops and their families but also at the expense of people right here in the US who are losing their jobs to these sweatshops....

but hey if common can rest his head at night knowing that then thats cool...i aint trying to judge....i will just go back to downloading his music and not attending any concerts he is involved with

up next the common GLADD commercial, and the common "interacial dating commercial.......

what?

he's off the artistic roll call. not sure if i have such a zero tolerance policy as bill hicks, cause i personally don't have the clout, but there's some truth to it.

absolutely, I agree. & Bill Hicks is the shit

I like gap jeans

I like common

I think the ad is dope, especially for a gap ad

i don't want to buy anything from the gap sicne they discontinued my worker cut jeans...but com was dope

adfasjfkj akkdfhak fklajsd fajsdf in the hood
l alksd flaksj dfalsdjf alsdf in the hood
asdlfkjalsdkfas sfidas df in the hood
gap is the shit in the hood

yeay, i like common, and dont care if he does some commericals but if you going to rap for an ad, put little bit more effort into it

...Not because the commercial was that hot or anything. It just reminded me that I REALLY want another Common album. BADLY.

Evrybody else is selling out. Thanks for joining us.

absolutely reeks of the shit.

There is nothing inherently wrong with an MC doing commericials. I have always love the Common Jordan adds. But this Gap ad blows for two reasons

1.) Its extremely Corny. If you love it, I bet you and me became Common Fans at two different points in his career.

2.) THey have tailored his message. Like I said, there is nothing wrong with doing a commercial and in the psat his commercials have been tasteful because its usually him doing his thing and then they throw a coca-cola label or Nike Label on the end of the commercial so people will make the association. However in this instance he is really shilling for the product and tailoring his message with "Peace, Love, and GAP"? C'mon.

I can't respect the opinion of those who love the ad. I ain't mad at him for doing because its honest work, but lets not pretend like the ish is dope.

^^^ and Post 28 nailed this.

He took his core message and sold ad space on it.

The beat was pretty hot. Everything else is funny.

http://izmusic.4mg.com

or did you forget? He even put in a lil FUBU plug

Gap been trying to tap the Hip Hop community for a lil while now. Com is using his celebrity in the Gap ads, it ain't about Hip Hop.

Gap inc wants you to see how Com is putting his shit together (using Gap hoodies, hats, ties and khakis) and you go out and do the same thing. The music is secondary to them. Same reason you see Audrey Hepburn and Lenny Kravitz.

I just think it's a shame that rappers have to do these things to get a buck. Too bad we can't rely on music alone.

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

y'all muthafuckas are crazy as shit. this is a good ad.

I used to love h.e.r. it ain't, but I dont see shit wrong with this

Why are you folks mad about seeing an artist you like on a commercial? Its not detracting from his music, Be went platinum and got great reviews plus he is dropping another album next year. And I would much rather see an ad with Common then Rick Ross or something. Im sayin, as long as hes not using gimmicks on his cd's, I dont and you shouldnt care that much. Besides the Gap Rap is way better than at least 50% of whats played on MTV right now and thats my honest opinion, that beat alone is tight i think. If you dont like it you dont like it but dont come with all this hate on Common for being on a GAP commercial. And dont you want artists you like to get more exposure?

first. art second.

not mad at com. he's gotta do what he's gotta do.

- - - - -

jy
1974-2006

peace & love

You guys just don't understand...

The revolution is about basketball - LOL!


coming in 2007 for the hip-hop restoration council project Zimbabwe Legit with all new tracks feat. guest appearances by hip-hop vets including the Jungle Brothers, YZ, Prince Po, Asheru and more...

Does anyone have a MP3 rip of the song?

i like everything else though

www.bling47.com
www.bling47.com/store

*late pass*

"Gifted like Christmas, so I love to rap" is my favorite line! The ad is cool. I think alot of people on here are over thinking with the whole selling out to commercialism speech. It is what it is...he gotta do something to feed his daughter. A smart business person would have their hands in more than one stream of income, and this ad is another stream for Com! More power to him!

On another note, I wish Gap would carry more than three pair of size 42 jeans for the people who REALLY need them, and not these lil punks who wanna walk around with their jeans to their knee caps! The cool jeans, not them basic jeans you can get at Wal-Mart either!


1

Check it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYRMdgPZbCE

I'm sure someone can find a way to rip that into an MP3...

"If revolution had a movie I'd be theme music"
err
"If the Gap had a commercial I'd be theme music"

it's not that i'm offended about doing a Gap commercial, I'm offended about COMMON doing a Gap commercial. I love Jay-Z, and if Jay-Z does it, all good, at least he's being consistent. The point is that the art is supposed to mean something, and reflect your views. True artists take their message seriously. So if Common preaches a message and gets us amped up about conscious issues, don't fucking sell out. If you're about being conscious, be conscious. If you're about making money, make money.

Principles are cool though, since when is it whack to critique big business/globalization?

Maybe I'd change if I had the opportunity, but I'd like to think that if I had enough to live comfortably (as I'm sure he does), I wouldn't put my name behind a company like the Gap.

Emotionally, seeing the same guy who said "monkeys dance around for MTV spots" do a GAP ad is mad whack. Maybe he can develop a hot lyrical argument for his movement in the game on his next album.

>"If revolution had a movie I'd be theme music"
>err
>"If the Gap had a commercial I'd be theme music"
>
>it's not that i'm offended about doing a Gap commercial, I'm
>offended about COMMON doing a Gap commercial. I love Jay-Z,
>and if Jay-Z does it, all good, at least he's being
>consistent. The point is that the art is supposed to mean
>something, and reflect your views. True artists take their
>message seriously. So if Common preaches a message and gets
>us amped up about conscious issues, don't fucking sell out.
>If you're about being conscious, be conscious. If you're
>about making money, make money.
>
>Principles are cool though, since when is it whack to critique
>big business/globalization?
>
>Maybe I'd change if I had the opportunity, but I'd like to
>think that if I had enough to live comfortably (as I'm sure he
>does), I wouldn't put my name behind a company like the Gap.
>
>Emotionally, seeing the same guy who said "monkeys dance
>around for MTV spots" do a GAP ad is mad whack. Maybe he can
>develop a hot lyrical argument for his movement in the game on
>his next album.

Dude, this is Common's 3rd commercial at least

Sprite
Coke
Gap

Get over it. It's not that serious really

I thought Common came off real dope with the Gap ad. Honestly can't imagine Common comin off anything less music wise. Much respect to the Gap for supportin true hip-hop and Nike too for that matter.

bahahaha. good for common. this underground hip hop genre isnt underground at all, and im glad he's getting paid.

I like it the first few times I saw it. Not I'm really sick of it.

Spend less time talking shit and more time figuring out how to get rich....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061217/bs_nm/gap_advertising_dc_1

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gap's new hip-hop-infused TV ad has captured a lot of attention from the young crowd the struggling retailer hopes to attract to reverse its fortunes.

But financial analysts and advertising specialists say Gap's fashions clash with its advertising style, and its efforts have not yet generated a steady stream of shoppers.

Gap -- run by Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS - news), which also owns the Banana Republic and Old Navy stores -- is in the midst of a much-needed image and merchandise change.

Though its ads featuring music, dance and celebrities have won acclaim for their inventiveness, store traffic is down as teens and young adults flock to trendier retailers Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE:ANF - news) and Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE:ARO - news), believing Gap jeans and sweaters are more appropriate for their parents.

Older shoppers, on the other hand, have been confused by Gap's focus on younger-styled apparel like skinny pants and the use of hip-hop music in ads, analysts and customers say.

Critics say promotions focus too much on single items and do not showcase what Gap has to offer. While celebrities like actress Helen Mirren and singer Seal wear hooded sweatshirts in its "Holiday in Your Hood" campaign, shoppers of any age still are not convinced the clothes are cool.

Arun Daniel, a consumer and retail analyst for ING Investment Management, described Gap's advertising as a "disaster."

"They do these very targeted ad campaigns where they get people in who buy the product and they don't buy anything else," he said. "They don't have the assortment that people are looking for."

Gap spokeswoman Erica Archambault disagreed, saying the skinny black pant promotion and the Product Red campaign, which focuses on red apparel and accessories and gives some sales proceeds to charity, had brought more people into its stores.

"We are seeing customers sticking around and buying from other categories," she said. "We have seen halo effects into our other product categories and we are encouraged by that."

Third-quarter profit dropped 11 percent and Gap Inc.'s same-store sales, a closely watched measure of stores open at least a year, have dropped for 10 straight months. Even in the hot shopping month of November, same-store sales at North American Gap-branded stores sagged 7 percent from a year ago.

Gap said its Project Red promotion brought people into stores early in October, but traffic for the month fell 7 percent on a year ago, after a 5 percent fall in September.

Still, Archambault described the "intangible benefits" of a well-received campaign as "invaluable."

"When you're building the strength of the brand and of the company, it's not about month to month," she said. "It's about the impact you're making and how it's resonating. We have positive signs that give us confidence we're on the right track."

ADVERTISING MISSTEPS?

In hopes of improving its image, Gap launched a new TV ad campaign this summer, while pressing its message on radio, outdoor signs and in print.

The company first rolled out a campaign about denim, and then another for skinny black pants, with TV ads featuring footage of the late actress and style icon, Audrey Hepburn.

Hooded sweatshirts then took the spotlight in the "Holiday in Your Hood" campaign, created by Laird+Partners and featuring model Claudia Schiffer and actress Diane Kruger.

A TV spot for the campaign features an original song by rapper and actor Common, and the holiday ads were among the top 10 TV favorites, a National Retail Federation survey found.

The hoodie worn by Common in the ad has sold out online and "is flying off shelves," according to Archambault.

But marketing experts say even with innovative, creatively strong advertising campaigns, the San Francisco-based retailer's brand problems cannot be solved overnight.

"You're assuming that just because they did this big campaign that people were going to pay attention," said Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys Inc. "The issue is one of engagement with the brand. It's not a matter of awareness of the campaign or even liking the campaign."

For example, Kelly Collazos, a 15-year-old New Jersey high-school student, said she liked the music on the ad, but still skipped the store on a recent Christmas shopping trip.

"The music and the commercials are good but the styles, well, it's a Mom store," she said. "My aunts shop there."