Gap unveils global CMO in management overhaul
Gap has appointed its first global chief marketing officer as part of a reshuffle of its senior brand management team.
Seth Farbman, formerly worldwide managing director at Ogilvy & Mather is to take on the newly created global CMO role.
Gap is also creating a new “global creative centre” in New York to house its design and marketing functions.
It will be headed up by Pam Wallack, current president Gap Adult North America, who will also oversee Gap’s international expansion and e-commerce operations.
Gap says the new structure will “provide a new and dynamic creative leadership structure that will deliver sustainable global growth”.
The reshuffle follows the departure of Marka Hansen, head of brand and president of the North American business, which was announced yesterday (2 February).
Hansen, who has been with Gap for 24 years, was the public face of the US fashion retailer in October when it pulled a new logo after just a week.
Glenn Murphy, chairman and CEO of Gap Inc, says Hansen’s departure marks “the right time for a change in the organization in order to take the Gap brand to a new level”.
Art Peck, formerly head of Gap’s international franchise and outlet business will take over from Hansen as president of the North American business.
The US fashion retailer is also severing ties with Laird + Partners, the agency behind the logo disaster last year, and appointing Ogilvy & Mather as its lead agency.
Gap faced a consumer backlash after introducing a new logo to its websites. It was forced to back-track and scrap the change in favour of its iconic 20-year old blue-box logo.
As well as facing criticism, Gap was lambasted for its attempts to launch a crowd-sourcing initiative to develop the new visual identity.
Gap is also merging its Gap Outlet division with the Gap and Banana Republic businesses.
Read retail reporter Rosie Baker’s analysis here
