Lindsay Lohan, Charo, Dylan Efron star in Old Navy Activewear Ads

Old Navy, which has quietly been building up its activewear business with new lines and fabric innovations, is launching an ad campaign focused on the category — its first in a decade — with a cast featuring Lindsay Lohan, Charo, Dylan Efron, Quen Blackwell and others.

Called “Old Navy, New Moves,” the campaign kicks off Friday with in-theater advertising, but the big marketing push starts Tuesday with TV, social, site, email, billboard and out-of-home advertising. One high-energy, 30-second spot shows the cast vigorously working out to the classic Devo song “Whip It.” The campaign was shot by Ethan James Green, while the commercial was directed by Torso and styled by Dara.

There’s been no significant marketing behind Old Navy activewear for years, but the brand, a division of Gap Inc., now seeks to more aggressively grow the category. Officials told WWD that Old Navy Active had a strong performance last year and cited statistics from Circana Consumer Apparel Data ranking Old Navy as fifth U.S. in activewear sales volume — and the only top-five active business in the U.S. to gain market share last year.

Among the brand’s recent advancements in activewear, the StudioSmooth collection launched in February with leggings, bras, tops, a skort, biker shorts, athletic dresss and full zips. Prices range from $24.99 to $59.99. The StudioSmooth fabric is a blend of 82 percent nylon and 18 percent spandex, providing what Old Navy executives describe as “a buttery-soft feel with light compression.” They maintain that StudioSmooth is comparable to more expensive leggings in the category, but offered at a fraction of the price.

More recently, Old Navy launched Protrain for men, providing what officials describe as a “super stretchy fabric, sweat wicking and a lightweight fabric but with durable composition.” Details include secure zippered storage, bonded hems and a compressive liner option on the shorts. A golf line was also recently introduced.

“Active is a critically important category for Old Navy, and it really anchors to our brand’s focus on style, family, fun and, of course, value,” said Brad Andrews, Old Navy’s head of merchandising, in a statement. “Across the brand and within Old Navy Active, we’ve been sharpening our focus to amplify our best-performing franchises and building a rhythm of new product innovation into the pipeline for our customer who is going running or just running errands.” 

Sarah Holme, Old Navy’s head of design and product development, said: “We like to say that we’re the most beloved activewear brand that you’ve never heard of. We design into the customer’s lifestyle, whether its high performance end-use, specific sports, or just the versatility of everyday life. We also listen closely to the feedback and iterate. Some of the fabric innovation has taken more than three years to develop.”