RadioShack's New Executive: Nick Cannon

Amazingly, RadioShack not only still exists, it has made a big hire: Nick Cannon was on Wednesday named chief creative officer. (As Sam Machkovech at Ars Technica notes, "Actor/rapper Nick Cannon is also Radio Shack's new Chief Shirtless Officer, from the look of that Twitter profile photo.") At USA Today, Hadley Malcolm frames the move as part of "RadioShack's desperation to regain relevancy" and reports that the intention is to make the brand cool to millennials. It has apparently been cool to Cannon, 35, since he was 8 years old.

Per a press release, a young Cannon inherited his grandfather's stereo equipment, and, "after taking apart the components and not knowing how to put the equipment back together, Cannon turned to his neighborhood RadioShack in San Diego for help." He ended up with "the best sound system in the area." As for what Cannon will do for the company, he'll "create a lot of cool things," says Cannon. RadioShack gets more specific: The CCO "will maintain an office at RadioShack headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas"; design playlists for what USA Today reports are 1,733 stores; help develop exclusive products; and "further transform the retailer into the must-visit electronics destination." (More RadioShack stories.)