is a brand of clothing and chain of stores that is owned by
Gap Inc. , which also owns
The Gap ,
Banana Republic , and
Forth & Towne brands. Old Navy's corporate operations are with
The Gap in
San Francisco and
San Bruno ,
California .
Launched in
1994 as a value chain, Old Navy opened its first store in
Colma, California .
As Of 2005 , Old Navy has more than 800 stores in many cities in the United States and Canada, the largest of which is in
Chicago, Illinois .
The name "Old Navy" was chosen because originally the stores were supposed to emulate the look and feel of a traditional military surplus store. While this motif was quickly dropped, many stores retain a warehouse-like/urban decor.
The online store, oldnavy.com, commenced operations in
2000 .
In 2001, Old Navy opened 12 stores in
Canada , offerring the same products at slightly higher prices .
Old Navy's
Target Market largely consists of
Middle Class families and
Teenager s; accordingly, the clothing is trendy, yet more affordable than its other
Gap Inc. counterparts, as well as that of rival stores like
American Eagle ,
Aeropostale ,
Abercrombie & Fitch , and
Hollister . Old Navy's stores contain specialized sections for infants, boys, girls, men, and women, and within these categories contain styles for many occasions. In addition to clothing, Old Navy also sells a variety of accessories such as shoes, handbags, toys, hats, and sunglasses. Perhaps Old Navy's most recognizable product are their popular
Flip-flops .
Old Navy informally bills itself as an all-American brand. The chain releases a shirt every summer emblazoned with an
American Flag . Each year's shirt features a slightly altered flag graphic with the year listed underneath. In its Canadian stores, a similar shirt with the
Canadian Flag is sold.
The most notable aspect of Old Navy's television advertisements are their satirical tone toward a
Retro time period, vaguely between 1940 and 1960. In sharp contrast to the Gap's advertisements, Old Navy's feature chipper family members sporting their clothing line while engaging in wholesome family activities, such as barbecueing. A common tagline used in their campaigns is the widely recognized ''"(insert clothing article here) for the whole family!"''.
Old Navy is also known for its advertising campaigns featuring celebrities such as
Morgan Fairchild ,
Fran Drescher , and
Hip Hop artist
Lil Kim . Another popular spokesperson was former ''
Vogue '' editor
Carrie Donovan , who often appeared in ads with company "spokesdog," Magic. According to Gap Inc., Magic, an Airedale terrier mix, was rescued from the streets of
San Jose . Magic remains an informal
Mascot of the company, though Donovan has since died.
''
Jeffersons '' stars
Isabel Sanford and
Sherman Helmsley appeared in a number of Old Navy
Television commercials in the late
1990s and early
2000s .
