Why Banana Republic Is Running Its First TV Ad Campaign in 15 Years

With more eyes glued to televisions, the retailer saw a chance to reach a bigger audience

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The last time Banana Republic aired a seasonal ad campaign on national television back in 2005, George W. Bush was in the White House, New Orleans was decimated by Hurricane Katrina, and retail was largely thriving along with the broader economy during the years leading up to the financial crisis.

A lot has happened in those intervening 15 years, with the retail sector suffering the brunt of a series of unfortunate events.

Despite the challenges of this year alone, Banana Republic is realizing what many of its direct-to-consumer apparel competitors have—that there may be no better time to nationally broadcast ads than the present even as total linear television ad spend declines.

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