Legacy retailer Gap Inc. made an unconventional hire earlier this year: a chief entertainment officer.
It was a newly created role as the company tapped former Paramount executive Pam Kaufman to helm its entertainment, content and licensing platform. Gap has since rolled out major campaigns, partnering with bands like Just Your Type and building on the success of last year's ads with girl group Katseye.
"Beloved brands have value beyond the products they sell. Consumers identify with them, trust them and want to be part of their world," Kaufman told CNBC in a statement. "The key is authenticity: Every extension has to reflect what the brand stands for and give its fans a meaningful new way to experience it."
She said it's part of a broader goal to emphasize what Gap calls "fashiontainment," a strategy to blend retail and entertainment to better align with consumers. Gap is part of a growing cohort of retailers investing in entertainment and experiences both in-store and through exclusive online content to drive engagement.
"Brands are stories, and we are the storytellers," CEO Richard Dickson said at the Goldman Sachs Global Consumer and Retail conference in September. "I think you could see that come to life when you look at some of the work that we've done, putting our brands in the center of culture and cultural conversation."