Old Navy Enlists ‘Portlandia’ Stars to Sell Holiday Sweaters

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How does Old Navy follows up its Black Friday commercials with Snoop Dogg and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the most perfect duo ever? Ad Age reports that Portlandia’s Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein are Old Navy’s newest holiday campaign stars with a video out today online and airing on television beginning December 6th.

In the spots, Fred and Carrie are banished to the kids' table after showing up to a holiday party in a beige hoodie and a blazer with a weird bird pin (clearly a "Put a bird on it" nod). Carrie tells Fred, "I was matching you. I thought, ‘Oh, we’re doing a drab thing.’" A sage, sweater-wearing kid advises them: "All you have to do is go to Old Navy and pick out clothes that scream holidays." More ads with Portlandia's stars will roll out throughout the month.

Old Navy is Gap Inc.'s shining star right now, and the brand's stepped up its commercials in the past few years starting with ads featuring actress and comedian Amy Poehler. Old Navy's chief marketing officer Ivan Wicksteed told Ad Age that the brand "was in the clothes-by-the-pound business, not about style credibility." Now his goal involves "trying to make the brand cool again."

In more coolness factor news, Ad Age also reports that Old Navy is toying with the idea of opening a concept store, like Bonobos or AYR's model where there's no inventory on site and anything shoppers buy is mailed to them.