One of the NBA’s more sartorially-minded players, Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been chosen as the first athlete ambassador of Banana Republic.
The three-time All-Star will feature in the clothing line’s spring campaign, which will launch March 8 in stores and online.
“He expresses the best version of himself with everything he does, which makes Kevin a natural brand ambassador for fans and customers alike,” said Aimee Lapic, SVP and General Manager of Customer Experience at the San Francisco-based retailer in a statement.
Introducing @kevinlove. Watch this 🎥 for exclusive access to Kevin's thoughts on 🏀 and style. #itsbanana pic.twitter.com/54uETZZNBO
— Banana Republic (@BananaRepublic) March 3, 2016
The brand will be hoping to reverse the results of a down year, when comparable sales for Banana Republic clothes in fiscal 2015 fell 10%. In an earnings call recently, CEO Art Peck of Gap (GPS)—the parent company of Banana—admitted they had made mistakes with the brand, and will steer away from becoming too fashion-centric and return to its roots. “We have centered on the classic, appropriate, expected aesthetics of the brand,” he said.
Banana Republic’s marketing spend has also declined in recent years. According to Ad Age, the brand spent $14.3 million on measured media in 2015, a 54% drop over the preceding year, according to Kantar Media.
