There’s Something Scientifically Wrong With This Gap Ad
Someone at The Gap made a pretty silly science error, and they are seriously paying for it on social media.
To honor its heritage — the San Francisco-based brand was founded in 1969 — the popular clothing company launched an ad campaign featuring pieces from its denim-focused collection next to random things superimposed with the numeral “1969.” For instance, you would assume that one in the series featuring a rocket launch references the 1969 Apollo 11 space mission, right? Wrong.
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)
Herein lies the problem: Some science buffs on Twitter called out the fact that the Saturn V rocket, which is supposedly pictured, was not a space shuttle. The first space shuttle wasn’t launched until 1981.
Mashable space reporter Miriam Kramer was one of the experts who schooled The Gap.
But AP science writer Seth Borenstein made another important point about the image.
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)
Well, @borenbears just out-nerded me. https://t.co/73vdbPPqCJ
— Miriam Kramer (@mirikramer)
Fed up, someone else went ahead and photoshopped the ad to reference the actual Saturn V rocket that flew astronauts to the moon.
@mirikramer @joelhousman omfg here u go @gap pic.twitter.com/SURHVt37bQ
— darth!™ (@darth)
Actually, according to Popular Science, the shuttle used in the ad is probably the ninth iteration of Discovery, which wasn’t launched until 1998 and flew until 2011.
The Gap soon responded, saying that the date was “not meant to be the shuttle launch date.” Confusing though, no?
@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)
Well wow. Today got pretty out of hand, didn’t it?
— Miriam Kramer (@mirikramer)
You said it, Miriam.
The post Science buffs are hilariously correcting this Gap space shuttle ad on Twitter appeared first on HelloGiggles.