Banana Republic also seeded products from its regular range into the show. When fan favorite Parker Posey’s Victoria Ratliff wore its Cruz Poplin Mini Dress in episode one, it instantly sold out.
Anvary said her team didn’t see scripts beforehand, so they didn’t know when the brand might feature in a scene and see a spike in social engagement: “You can plan everything, but then you need to be open in real time to listening, reacting, responding,” she said.
The campaign drove 3 billion impressions across the company’s media platforms and website. Anvary said the collaboration has been measured in “relevance and revenue.”
Banana Republic joins its sister brands in experimenting with “fashiontainment,” a concept Anvary said Dickson coined to describe how style, studios, and artists are converging to reach customers where they are—whether that’s on TV, on TikTok, or through immersive in-store experiences.
Beyond Gap Inc., the wider fashion industry is embracing this cultural crossover. In 2023, Zara launched a Barbie-inspired capsule collection based on Margot Robbie’s film costumes, while last year, Marc Jacobs designed high-end pieces for Wicked.
More recently, Banana Republic’s editorial-inspired “Endless Summer” photo campaign showcased traditional models and influencers galavanting around The Hamptons. The shoot wouldn’t be out of place in a high-gloss magazine spread, with a color palette led by the clothes.
Style influencers with smaller followings, including Cassia Beart and Chrissy Rutherford, are extending the campaign on TikTok, part of the brand’s increased focus on a “tiered” creator strategy that spans VIP names (like Schwarzenegger) to micro influencers, who Anvary says have “hyper-engaged followings.
As it charts its next move, the CMO wants to ingrain the brand into the cultural conversation, “driving relevance with a really strong affinity and brand love from our customers.”
Whether Banana Republic’s heritage-heavy refresh and fashiontainment strategy can deliver lasting results will be tested soon enough. Gap Inc. is set to report earnings on Aug. 29, and the proof will ultimately be in the sales.
