There’s nothing more obnoxious than advertisements cutting into your favorite TV shows – but what if your favorite TV show was an advertisement? In a recent press release, Macy’s announced plans to develop a fictionalized television series based on true stories of women involved in the development and evolution of American retail businesses, taking brand integration to a whole new level.
About the series
To bring the series to life, Macy’s has acquired the rights to Julie Satow’s best-selling non-fiction book, “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion.” Ironically, the book does not actually feature the Macy’s brand, but the new television series will, focusing on the story of Margaret Getchell, an influential 19th century Macy’s executive. Satow commented,
“’When Women Ran Fifth Avenue’ celebrates all of the pioneering women who helped shape retail fashion and their enduring legacy, women like Macy’s Margaret Getchell. I can’t wait to see these trailblazing stories reach a wider audience, inspiring the next generation of innovators in fashion and business, and bring ‘When Women Ran Fifth Avenue’ from the page to screen.”
The project is still in its very early stages, with Macy’s currently seeking talent for the main roles and a showrunner for the series. There is no confirmation as to when or where the show will be released, but in its press statement, Macy’s reiterated the importance of its partnership with NBCU, so it’s possible the series will air on Peacock, NBC’s main streaming service.
Another page of the “Bold New Chapter”
This new venture into television production is just one part of Macy’s overarching plan to revitalize the way the brand interacts with customers. When the company announced that it would be closing 150 underperforming stores last February, it also released the details of its “Bold New Chapter” marketing strategy, which targets customer satisfaction and growth. Macy’s CEO Tony Spring stated,
“A Bold New Chapter serves as a strong call to action. It challenges the status quo to create a more modern Macy’s, Inc. We are making the necessary moves to reinvigorate relationships with our customers through improved shopping experiences, relevant assortments and compelling value.”
The series provides an opportunity for Macy’s to take that strategy further: to draw attention to the company in an organic way, through scripted narrative advertising, and to create hype surrounding a brand that hasn’t been considered “trendy” for a long time. Time will tell whether the series will lead to enough increased sales to be worth the investment.
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