Hi @gap. We're going to need to talk about this ad. Y'all know that the space shuttle didn't fly until 1981, right? pic.twitter.com/iTHBHPuwTx
— Miriam Kramer (@mirikramer) May 6, 2016
Gap's attempt to incorporate science into fashion has backfired miserably. The clothing retailer attempted to pay homage to its 1969 founding by introducing an ad campaign featuring a space shuttle. In it, a model poses in a denim button-up while the facing image is a spaceship with "1969" placed prominently over it.
Too bad somebody didn't check the facts.
Twitter users quickly took Gap back to fourth grade to drop some science knowledge.
Good catch, but it's not even 1981. That's a non-painted external tank. Those didn't launch till STS-3 in 1982. https://t.co/548kb8PFC0
— seth borenstein (@borenbears) May 6, 2016
Unfortunately, the embarrassment didn't end there. Other science buffs noticed Gap's error and created a new ad to that's way more accurate.
@mirikramer @joelhousman omfg here u go @gap pic.twitter.com/SURHVt37bQ
— darth!™ (@darth) May 6, 2016
Popular Science identified the spaceship as Discovery, which launched in 1988. Gap quickly responded by noting that the date on the photo isn't meant to be accurate.
@mirikramer 1969 is included in most of our ad pics. Its the year we opened, not meant to be the shuttle launch date. Sorry for confusion.
— Gap (@Gap) May 6, 2016
That's cool, but adding a science nerd to their social media team would be even cooler.