Ads: Gap Spreads the Holiday Glee

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The bad news: Gap did not actually get the cast of lovable Fox musical comedy Glee to star in its holiday ad campaign. The good news: As StyleList points out, they might as well have. The new ads, in which cozily-dressed cheerleaders perform the most athletic routines a person can do in high-heeled boots, feel like outtakes from the show. (All they're missing is one diabolical coach and a few terrible pregnancy-related secrets.) Gap spokespeople say they starting planning the ads before they knew about Glee, but we can't imagine they mind the positive associations.

The Gap never stints on its holiday campaigns. This year, in addition to the cheer ads and a cheer-focused microsite, they're adding "a four-city tour by a troupe of cheerleaders and drummers who will 'appear in unexpected places when you least expect it,'" according to a Gap marketing VP. Meanwhile, conservative group the American Family Association has called for a boycott of the company because ads like the one above "censor Christmas" by acknowledging the existence of other late-December holiday traditions. Which is awkward, because we totally already bought them a solstice present.
· Gap Gets 'Glee'-ful for New Holiday Ads [Style List]
· Something to Rah-Rah-Rah About for Christmas [NYT]
· Updated: Christian Group Calls for Gap Boycott [BrandWeek]