Apple, Gap to launch iTunes promo
Exclusive -- Apple Computer and clothing retailer the Gap are preparing to kick-off a promotion that will offer Gap customers free iTunes songs for trying on clothing at its retail stores, AppleInsider has learned.
Word of the partnership comes just ahead of the back-to-school shopping season, where millions of consumers traditionally flood US shopping malls and clothing retailers in search of the latest fall fashions.
Specifically, industry sources say the San Francisco, Calif.-based clothing retailer will begin handing out free iTunes song downloads to customers who are willing to try on any pair of Gap blue jeans.
The Gap, which operates nearly 3000 stores worldwide, will run the promotion in all US retail stores that are not designated as "early back-to-school" locations from Aug. 8th through the end of the month. Stores that are designated as early back-to-school stores may start the promotion at an earlier date.
Each customer who tries on a pair of jeans will be rewarded with a little green iTunes card that includes a code redeemable for one free song from the iTunes Music Store, sources said.
Over the last two years, Apple and Pepsi teamed on a similar promotion that randomly placed codes redeemable for free iTunes songs under the caps of specially marked 20 oz and 1-liter Pepsi bottles. The two companies hyped the promotion with television spots that aired during the 2004 and 2005 NFL SuperBowl championship games.
Apple's iTunes Music Store leads the online legal music download industry with over an 80 percent share and just recently surpassed the half-a-billion milestone in songs sold.
Although the iTunes Music Store contributes only a marginal profit for Apple each quarter, it is a major driving force behind sales of the company's ubiquitous iPod digital music players. During the three-month period ending June, Apple announced that it sold over 6 million iPods worldwide.
Meanwhile, Apple's iTunes Music Store currently caters to 19 countries, which combine to reach more than 70 percent of the global music market. On Aug. 4, the company is expected to broaden its iTunes presence when it extends the service to the booming Japanese market.
Word of the partnership comes just ahead of the back-to-school shopping season, where millions of consumers traditionally flood US shopping malls and clothing retailers in search of the latest fall fashions.
Specifically, industry sources say the San Francisco, Calif.-based clothing retailer will begin handing out free iTunes song downloads to customers who are willing to try on any pair of Gap blue jeans.
The Gap, which operates nearly 3000 stores worldwide, will run the promotion in all US retail stores that are not designated as "early back-to-school" locations from Aug. 8th through the end of the month. Stores that are designated as early back-to-school stores may start the promotion at an earlier date.
Each customer who tries on a pair of jeans will be rewarded with a little green iTunes card that includes a code redeemable for one free song from the iTunes Music Store, sources said.
Over the last two years, Apple and Pepsi teamed on a similar promotion that randomly placed codes redeemable for free iTunes songs under the caps of specially marked 20 oz and 1-liter Pepsi bottles. The two companies hyped the promotion with television spots that aired during the 2004 and 2005 NFL SuperBowl championship games.
Apple's iTunes Music Store leads the online legal music download industry with over an 80 percent share and just recently surpassed the half-a-billion milestone in songs sold.
Although the iTunes Music Store contributes only a marginal profit for Apple each quarter, it is a major driving force behind sales of the company's ubiquitous iPod digital music players. During the three-month period ending June, Apple announced that it sold over 6 million iPods worldwide.
Meanwhile, Apple's iTunes Music Store currently caters to 19 countries, which combine to reach more than 70 percent of the global music market. On Aug. 4, the company is expected to broaden its iTunes presence when it extends the service to the booming Japanese market.
Comments
http://www.google.com/local?q=gap&near=Austin,+TX
Originally posted by amac4me
Interesting .... this is a creative promo. I don't know what clothes have to do with music but hey ... whatever works.
What do Apple and Pepsi have to do with eachother? No Sculley doesn´t count
Anyway, I'd gladly pay MORE than .99 to AVOID having to try on clothes!
Originally posted by geekdreams
Excellent. Five Gap stores in town = five free iTMS tracks.
http://www.google.com/local?q=gap&near=Austin,+TX
So, you'd rather drive around to five locations instead of paying the $5 for the five songs?
Originally posted by nagromme
Anyway, I'd gladly pay MORE than .99 to AVOID having to try on clothes!
I'll let you in on a secret:
When you try clothes on in the store, you find out if they really fit well. If they don't, then you don't buy them.
What a concept.
Originally posted by nagromme
Didn't someone from the Gap used to be on Apple's board until recently?
Anyway, I'd gladly pay MORE than .99 to AVOID having to try on clothes!
Uh, yeah... the CEO though I forget his name. Apple took a lot of design cues from Gap for their own stores.
Originally posted by nagromme
Didn't someone from the Gap used to be on Apple's board until recently?
Anyway, I'd gladly pay MORE than .99 to AVOID having to try on clothes!
Millard Drexler. He's still on the board but has moved on to J. Crew where he is Chairman and CEO.
-K
Originally posted by danielctull
And why is this not worldwide???
It may be. Gap Corp. seemingly refuses to return phone calls. We've only heard from US sources so that is the way we reported on the story. I'll find out more.
Best,
-K
Originally posted by Kasper
It may be. Gap Corp. seemingly refuses to return phone calls. We've only heard from US sources so that is the way we reported on the story. I'll find out more.
Best,
-K
Ahh okay, will find out in a couple of weeks then I guess.
Originally posted by wilco
So, you'd rather drive around to five locations instead of paying the $5 for the five songs?
It's called a joke. Look it up.
Originally posted by geekdreams
It's called a joke. Look it up.
Actually, I'd call it a lame joke. Look it up
Now, that joke about the ipod always including a gap. Now THAT was a joke. My love life: One hilarious joke. Using the words "Microsoft" and "Innovation" in the same sentence (without including the words "Apple" or any synonym of "stealing"), now that's a knee-slapping, tear-inducing, kidney-busting, call the paramedics piece of hillarity.
Originally posted by wilco
So, you'd rather drive around to five locations instead of paying the $5 for the five songs?
espically if your going to have to pay 5 bucks in gas now days!
Why Gap? sorry GAP fans but I hate a lot of there clothes.
Originally posted by w_parietti22
espically if your going to have to pay 5 bucks in gas now days!
Why Gap? sorry GAP fans but I hate a lot of there clothes.
Keep in mind that this isn't an Apple promotion, its a Gap promotion. So the reasoning is simple, try to get people into the stores. (Just like the pepsi promo, try to get people to buy pepsi - not that it helped much).
Plus, popular stores and products already sell. They don't need to spend the money on promotions.
Originally posted by w_parietti22
Why Gap? sorry GAP fans but I hate a lot of there clothes.
I think it's a good fit. They have a young-ish, trendy crowd and the Gap aesthetic seems to match Apple's.