Maybelline. Crocs. Marc Jacobs. These are just a few of the brands that have recently turned to the microdramas format to spin a yarn while, naturally, advertising their goods. And now, Banana Republic can be added to that list.
The Gap-owned brand debuted the initial episode of its first scripted microdrama on Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The Agency stars Adults and Big Mistakes actor Jack Innanen as four different employees at an old-school, full-service travel agency called Travel & Tours that is rocked when a corporate suit (played by Innanen’s Big Mistakes costar Taylor Ortega) arrives to modernize it. Milo Tucker-Meyer plays the agency’s intern.
Soapy, salacious and steamy romance stories might have popularized the microdrama format globally, but the first episode of The Agency positions the series as an office comedy with quick cuts and wink-wink lines and visuals. Innanen‘s characters in the five-episode series include a manager lacking confidence, a cocky cruise specialist, an adventure expert who deeply fears adventure and a Francophile who hasn‘t left American soil since the late ’90s. As one might expect, each of his characters are impeccably dressed in Banana Republic fits.
Banana Republic chief marketing officer Meena Anvary said the brand decided to try the format in order to honor its “storytelling heritage.” Banana Republic Travel & Safari Clothing Company, as the company was initially titled, was the 1978 brainchild of a journalist and newspaper illustrator (founders Mel and Patricia Ziegler) whose early catalogs paired travel stories with apparel for sale.
“We viewed this as a really interesting opportunity and way for us to hit on the nostalgia of the brand that people know and love and introduce the brand to new audiences via this TikTok series, bringing in some humor and storytelling to it as well,” Anvary said.
Anvary was tightlipped about whether the brand will continue to invest in microseries or more entertainment moving forward, saying executives want to see how the audience engages with this first attempt first. But The Agency, at least, is part of a larger trend as Banana Republic’s parent company, Gap, Inc., has recently invested in building up an entertainment infrastructure amid a “fashiontainment” push. Earlier this year the company hired former Paramount exec Pam Kaufman as its chief entertainment officer and fellow Paramount alum Lourdes Arocho as head of licensing.
The production company behind The Agency, Banana Republic Productions, dates back to earlier this year when the label collaborated with New York’s Explorers Club on a shortform docuseries about notable figures in science and exploration.
“When we look at Gap Inc.‘s fashiontainment platform, it’s been a huge area of focus at the total company,” Anvary said. “For Banana in particular, it’s about us going back to our DNA and heritage and storytelling roots.” Entertainment is particularly valuable for marketing, Anvary added, because it helps keep a brand top of mind for consumers and encourages them to consider it when making purchasing decisions.
The Agency, which has been produced especially for the TikTok audience but will be available on multiple social channels, will release episodes (and some behind-the-scenes material) weekly.
Meet Travel & Tours. The last travel agency in New York City, where things have been done a certain way for a very long time. Until now. New faces, big ideas, and a staff that doesn’t exactly see eye to eye. The Agency, Episode 1 is here.
