You’re bound to have seen it by now. With more than 400 million views in just three days, Gap’s “Better in Denim” dance video campaign has taken the internet by storm since it dropped on August 19. Choreographed by breakout talent Robbie Blue, and set to Kelis’ 2003 hit “Milkshake,” the video features girl group KATSEYE performing Blue’s addictively precise, quirky-yet-sexy movement alongside 30 denim-clad dancers. The result is a fun, edgy celebration of dance and togetherness (and denim) you can’t help but watch again and again.
So what went into the making of Gap’s most viral ad yet? Dance Spirit spoke with Blue to find out.
When and how did you get involved with this campaign?
I was brought onto the project several months in advance. Gap really wanted my point of view from the start, and they wanted it to be dance-heavy. That’s something they pride themselves on. Then all of the ideating started about which other artists we were thinking about using, and the song.
The idea was that we were going to hire dancers from all different backgrounds and bring them together for one big masterpiece. So when KATSEYE was brought into the mix as an option, it seemed perfect because their story is the exact same as the campaign’s. All of the pieces just fit together.
Why did you choose “Milkshake” for the music?
I wanted to use a song that could reach a ton of people and had a campiness to it. There were a couple in the running—“I’m Too Sexy,” by Right Said Fred, and some Black Eyed Peas songs. When we finally landed on “Milkshake,” it was a combination of everything that we wanted. It felt new, and also nostalgic.
Once you had all the pieces in place, how did you create the movement?
Gap basically gave me this platform and said, “You can do whatever you want.” It was the perfect place to try ideas that have been living in my head. I really wanted to go heavy on the frug elements I love to channel, and the head and hip attachment, like in Megan’s part [0:18–25]. The dragging section of Daniela [0:29–32] was something I’d been thinking about constantly. I’d been wanting to do that low-angle look, and it worked perfectly there.
I go through 10, 20, 30 versions of choreo. I think it ultimately boils down to what visually is the most impactful and surprising, but also has feeling. And on top of that was the camera work.
That’s a lot of layering!
Totally, and it took a lot of time. But I was gifted with so much rehearsal, and I know that that’s one of the reasons why we were able to come up with a version that’s, now, globally recognized. We took the time to evaluate every layer.
In total, we were rehearsing for about four weeks, every day (though I had started ideating months before). When you’re trying to make something impactful, it’s so important that it gets the appropriate amount of time. That’s always a struggle with budget and teams, wanting an amazing product. I’m really grateful to have had that time.
Since it is ultimately a clothing ad, how much did you have to consider what the dancers were wearing?
There was an extremely logistical aspect to it. At one point, we had to start with the ending formation, and then backtrack from there to coordinate the color palette. Gap had already decided that KATSEYE needed to be in their own custom outfits. So everybody’s spots had to switch so it would be visually appealing. I think we actually only ended up needing one outfit change for a dancer between takes. That was lucky.
What was it like working with the dancers?
They are some of the most talented dancers in the world, and they really care about the full picture. I didn’t have to coach them through every single movement. It just ended up being clean.
For some of them, this was out of their comfort zone. Some sections were built for certain people, and they’d get swapped, so some hip-hop dancers were in ballet sections, and some ballet dancers were in hip-hop sections. That was part of the campaign—everybody morphing all these styles. And everyone pulled up. It was an honor to work with them.
What has it been like watching the video take off?
I feel like I’m still processing how huge this was. Every time I get on my phone, I’m reminded of how many people it’s touched. It blows my mind for five seconds, but then I’m like, I need to go work on this other thing. I still need to journal it all out. It’s mind-blowing.
Why do you think it resonates with so many people?
The main thing is the unity of so many people coming together from different backgrounds. That concept of togetherness is something the world is craving constantly. It hit me hard, especially when everybody was learning my movement.
It sounds cheesy, but I was like, “Oh, wow, we all can love each other.” We do have this connection, and it is dance. Some of the dancers had never done moves like that before, but they gave it so much effort and energy, and that touched my heart. That’s the part that’s ultimately shining through.
How do you feel about so many people replicating your choreography online?
That choreo is hard! I’m not saying that TikTok choreo is not, but there are differences between nondancer dances for fun and professional dance breaks. Somehow, I feel like my work bridged a gap [no pun intended, he swears] and has got people seriously moving and learning. Which is so exciting, and I did not expect it. I didn’t choreograph it that way, for social media.
I made it hard on purpose, because the impressive part is that there’s nearly 40 people doing it at the same time. So watching people around the world do that is crazy. Never in my brain was I thinking, Oh, people are gonna wanna do this, let me try. But yeah, the girls are trying. They’re bridging the gap!
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