Dive Brief:

• Macy’s has acquired the exclusive option to develop a best-selling nonfiction book about the women who shaped department stores into a scripted TV series, according to a press release. 
• The retailer is seeking a showrunner and cast for its adaption of Julie Satow’s “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion,” which was published last year. Macy’s CMO Sharon Otterman spearheaded the deal.
• Macy’s is well-known for live TV events like its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, but the move represents a more ambitious attempt to wed brand and entertainment content together. Otterman, who became CMO two years ago, has prioritized telling a cohesive marketing story for Macy’s.  

Dive Insight:

Brand integrations into popular TV programs are a decades-old tactic and have evolved further in the streaming era as a way to reach consumers who don’t want to be barraged with commercials. Macy’s is taking the concept a step further, optioning and developing its own scripted series, with an eye on spotlighting the often unsung role women played in shaping department stores. 

The strategy speaks to marketers’ growing focus on serving up entertainment that consumers will tune into organically as they contend with mounting advertising aversion. In another example of the convergence between brand and premium content, Chick-fil-A recently announced an app that will come loaded with offerings ranging from video games to original animated shows.

“When Women Ran Fifth Avenue” landed on best-seller lists from The New York Times and USA Today. It received praise in publications including The Wall Street Journal, which dubbed Satow’s work “carefully researched” and “compulsively readable,” with a pace akin to a page-turning novel. 

The story tracks trailblazing women in retail, with profiles of figures such as Lord & Taylor’s Dorothy Shaver, Bonwit Teller’s Hortense Odlum and Henri Bendel’s Geraldine Stutz. Macy’s Margaret Getchell, one of the first women in the industry to hold an executive role, will be added into the screen adaptation’s narrative.  

“These are stories of resilience, ambition and creativity — women who understood the power of storytelling and branding long before it was a business strategy,” said Otterman in a press statement. 

Macy’s is aligning its crack into scripted content with a reputation for hosting destination live viewing occasions. Last year, the long-running Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade reached record viewership of 31.7 million viewers, the release said. The company recently renewed a 10-year rights deal with NBCUniversal to broadcast events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks. 

It was not immediately clear what the host network or streaming platform for “When Women Ran Fifth Avenue” would be, but Macy’s stated the re-upped NBCU agreement will “continue to propel Macy’s entertainment offerings beyond its world-renowned celebrations, as the brand continues to create stories worth sharing.” Marketing Dive has reached out to Macy’s for further clarity and will update this story pending a response.