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NPR News

The Gap Gets Backlash For Logo Makeover

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Gap is known for its swing-dancing commercials and its iconic logo -- white, all-caps letters in a blue square. This week the clothing company changed that logo.

Now it has black letters with a small blue box behind the "P."

Critics bashed the new look. The magazine Ad Age said it looked like "something a child created using a clip-art gallery."

Gap says it's keeping the logo on its website, but it's holding off for now on printing the logo on its clothing.

Gap told its Facebook followers that it's open to new ideas.

And in a column on The Huffington Post, Marka Hansen, president of Gap North America, explained the logo decision.

"We chose this design as it's more contemporary and current," Hansen wrote. "It honors our heritage through the blue box while still taking it forward.

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"Now, given the passionate outpouring from customers that followed, we've decided to engage in the dialogue, take their feedback on board and work together as we move ahead and evolve to the next phase of Gap."

Other websites have already jumped on the redesign bandwagon, and at least one has a new name for the controversy: Gapgate.

You can weigh in in the comments section below.

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