Southern University’s Human Jukebox Stars In Gap Denim Campaign

The campaign gives the Human Jukebox another opportunity to showcase its arrangements of popular music.

Southern University’s Human Jukebox is featured in Gap’s latest denim campaign, placing the HBCU marching band at the center of a national fashion advertisement ahead of the fall football and homecoming season, HBCU Gameday reports.

The Baton Rouge-based band appears in Gap’s “Denim on Your Own” campaign, performing its arrangement of Swedish singer Robyn’s 2010 song “Dancing on My Own.” Band members appear in dark-wash denim, white T-shirts, and custom jackets that combine Southern University branding with elements inspired by the Human Jukebox’s uniforms, according to the outlet⁠.

The custom jackets are not currently available for purchase.

The campaign gives the Human Jukebox another opportunity to showcase its arrangements of popular music. The band drew national attention in 2015 for its performance of Adele’s “Hello” during the Bayou Classic Battle of the Bands.

The Gap partnership initially had a different concept. Human Jukebox Director Kedric D. Taylor told WAFB⁠ that Gap contacted him by email about appearing in a commercial. The original plan called for the band to travel to Atlanta and perform with a major artist, but the concept later changed.

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“They were like, well, look, we just came to your campus. Your band has a brand. You guys will be our artists,” Taylor told the outlet.

Gap instead brought the production to Southern University and made the Human Jukebox the focus of the campaign.

The collaboration follows a series of high-profile appearances for the Southern University band. The Human Jukebox has participated in presidential inaugural celebrations and the Rose Parade and has performed at Super Bowl events, including festivities surrounding Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February 2025.

Taylor said the band program also seeks to create opportunities for students beyond performing.

“We don’t just do music; we set our students up for opportunities to do things that they came here to do,” Taylor said.