Hearst Creates Custom Holiday Ad Campaign for Banana Republic

Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke

Updated Wed, November 22, 2017 at 3:30 PM UTC

Hearst Made, Hearst Magazine’s Digital Media‘s branded content arm, has created a holiday campaign for Banana Republic that will run on the web sites of Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Esquire. The campaign launches on Harper’s site this week, followed by Esquire and Elle early next month.

“Our digital content strategy is designed to engage consumers with rich, emotional storytelling,” Banana Republic’s chief marketing officer Mary Alderete said. “Hearst extends the aspirational and effortless style lens of Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and Esquire to reflect heartfelt moments of coming together with friends and family for the holidays, which we love.”

The campaign, which includes a tag on the top right noting that it was created for Banana Republic, incorporates other brands into the mix. For example, in a post on Harper Bazaar’s site titled “Five Truly Gorgeous Ensembles to Wear This Holiday,” dresses by designers Gabriella Hearst and Marchesa are styled alongside more affordable Banana Republic items. Most of the items can be purchased by clicking through on a “shop” button.

Shot by fashion photographer Daniel King, the campaign is customized for each Hearst brand and is accompanied by articles designed to reflect each site’s sensibility.

According to Hearst Made director Laura Kalehoff, that integration comes from an all-hands-on-deck mentality.

“At Hearst Magazines Digital Media, we work hand in hand with our editors on all the campaigns we do. It’s not a siloed group,” she said. “From ‘concepting’ the story to the shoot preparation to the final handoff, really we say that everybody is working on branded. It’s that important to us.”

Not only is the Chinese wall between editorial and advertising a thing of the past, but Hearst, like many other publishers, touts its lack as a virtue.

“Our simple mission is to create branded content that is as beautiful and engaging — if not more so — than editorial content,” Kalehoff said.

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Hearst Creates Custom Holiday Ad Campaign for Banana Republic

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