• by Melynda Fuller , January 2, 2019

A decade into its run as a wellness-focused lifestyle brand, Goop has hired its first creative director, Devin Pedzwater.

Prior to Pedzwater’s tenure, Goop founder Gwenyth Paltrow unofficially held the role of creative lead, as the company grew from a newsletter to encompass a print publication, ecommerce arm and events.

Pedzwater comes to Goop with 20 years of experience across many high-profile publications and brands, including Conde Nast Traveler, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone and Spin. He also held the position of creative director, Vanity Fair Italia, before moving into the role of creative director at Los-Angeles-based creative agency Kovert Creative. 

As creative director at Goop, Pedzwater will be responsible for the visual and brand identity of the company across content, video, packaging and events.

According to WWD, Pedzwater is focused on connecting the brand with its devoted audience. He wrote in a statement: “Even though it’s only a decade old, Goop’s creative identity is akin to a legacy brand: it’s visceral, aspirational and elegant.”

WWD reports that Goop doubled its revenue last year and is planning to expand its staff of more than 200, adding roles in product and technology. 

Goop has famously, or infamously, used unorthodox practices to connect its readers with the brands and products featured across its editorial. New York Media's The Cut detailed its most dubious health claims last year, while an NBC News story worried the publication was undermining science.

Goop is also known for its ability to leverage users’ data.

During its Conde Nast tenure, the print publication ran into problems; Paltrow refused to allow fact checkers to verify its articles. Eventually, the brand and publisher parted ways. Following the split, Goop hired its first fact checker last summer.

In March 2018, the company raised $50 million in Series C funding, with the expectation of moving the brand into the European market. Goop expanded to Canada in December 2017 and now has an outpost in London.

According to SimilarWeb, Goop counted 2.59 million visits in November 2018, with nearly 70% of that traffic originating in the U.S.