Dive Brief:

• To fill a year-old-vacant CMO spot, Gap tapped Craig Brommers, talent poached from Abercrombie & Fitch.
• Gap had previously said it was eliminating the global CMO position for the Gap and Banana Republic brands.
• The news comes after the retail apparel brand saw a drop in sales over the holiday season.

Dive Insight:

Jeff Kirwan, Gap global president, told Ad Age in a statement, "As we remain focused on delivering optimistic and elevated American style, it's our goal to continue telling engaging and emotional stories that are uniquely Gap. Craig is known for being a passionate and innovative marketer, who is not afraid to take risks and push boundaries."

Brommers has spent the past several years as svp of marketing for Abercrombie. Adweek points out he's also held similar positions at Calvin Klein and Speedo, and through those roles became known for being able to push bounds while staying true to the core of the brand.

Gap had a 2% drop in same-store sales for a five week period ending on Jan. 2, and a decrease of 5% year-over-year.

Last year Gap closed 175 North American stores constituting around 25% of its locations due to poor sales. According to Kantar Media, the brand also dropped its advertising spending to below $10 million in the U.S. for the first nine months of 2015, a drop from $30 million the previous year. Most of the brand's recent ad creative has come from Wieden + Kennedy.