Gap’s Jackson 5 Holiday Ad Passed 2.5 Million Views in Days

By Olivia Hart

Gap’s holiday commercial drew more than 2.5 million views within days of its release last week, according to Inc. staff reporter Ali Donaldson. The result gave the $7.8 billion retailer a rapid start to its seasonal campaign.

Donaldson reports that the less-than-two-minute spot also collected thousands of comments across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It was Gap’s first commercial for the holiday season, released with nearly two months still before Christmas morning.

Retail timing preceded the media launch. According to Donaldson, holiday gifts, decorations and accoutrements appeared in Gap’s store aisles before Halloween pumpkins were carved last month.

Why did Gap’s holiday ad spread so quickly?

Donaldson says the spot begins with a close-up of a young girl singing the first few bars of the Jackson 5’s 1970 hit, “I’ll Be There.” The camera then reveals a large ensemble of children and adults performing the Motown classic a cappella against a white backdrop.

Every performer wears Gap sweaters, jeans, scarves and beanies. The ad belongs to Gap’s “Give Your Gift” campaign, and its combination of simplicity and earnestness resonated, according to Donaldson.

Donaldson records direct praise for the production method. One YouTube commenter wrote: “Nice to see commercials go back to low stimulation, no insane graphics, no AI bs. just raw human talent and creativity to feature something. Feels good.”

Another commenter wrote: “We appreciate an ad with no AI and lots of talented humans!” The comments focused on human talent rather than product claims, although the clothing remained central throughout the performance.

Donaldson’s report provides no advertising budget, sales-lift figure or attribution data for the campaign, so the reaction establishes cultural resonance rather than commercial return. Viewers responded to a stripped-down ad built around people, song and familiar clothes.

How did Jackson 5 nostalgia fit the sales pitch?

Donaldson frames the release against a year of AI, midterm elections and a record-breaking $1 billion box-office run for Michael, the biopic focused on Jackson’s early career. He calls the timing shrewd and notes that the film omitted more controversial elements of Jackson’s later life, including allegations of child sexual abuse.

That omission forms part of the context behind the ad’s timing, but it does not establish the allegations themselves. Donaldson also says Michael turned Jackson into one of the hottest Halloween costumes that past season.

Gap then joined that nostalgia to its own. According to Donaldson, the retailer channeled renewed interest in Jackson into nostalgia for sweaters from the 1990s and early 2000s. The approach targets Millennials through a Y2K-era lens and has become a sales-driving formula for fast-food chains, pizza joints, beer brands and Gap competitor J. Crew.

Donaldson’s report does not show how much of Gap’s business depends on the strategy or whether the commercial affected purchases. The campaign pairs two nostalgia engines, while its revenue payoff remains unmeasured.

Which groups performed in the commercial?

According to Donaldson, Gap enlisted three choirs for the sequence:

• A Cappella Academy is an Anaheim, California-based nonprofit that hosts an annual summer vocal intensive for children ages 12 to 18.
• Tonality is a Grammy Award-winning choir that “represents the diverse cultures and ethnicities within the Los Angeles area.” It has performed with Kelly Clarkson, Tiësto, Pete Townsend and Björk.
• Sainted is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based ensemble that performs “in the vibrant intersection of gospel tradition and contemporary hip-hop.” It has sung alongside Alicia Keys, Sara Bareilles, Fantasia and Andra Day at the Super Bowl.

The groups supplied the ad’s large ensemble and lent established vocal credentials to a simple seasonal message. The next test is whether that visibility converts into holiday sales before Christmas; Donaldson reports no sales data, so only reach has been established.