For Immediate Release
New York, NY
April 15, 2004
H&M MAKES A SPLASH ON THE BEACHES OF BRAZIL
WITH ITS NEWEST SWIMWEAR CAMPAIGN

To Support Campaign, H&M offers customers (at select locations)
a free 32-page glossy magazine

H&M, Europe’s leading fashion retailer, today announces its new swimwear campaign bringing shoppers a little bit of sand, surf and sun from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Featuring top Brazilian models Isabeli Fontana, Daniella Sarahyba, Fernanda Tavares, Ana Beatriz Barros, Thais Oliveira, Andre Resende, Edgar Graca Mello, Carlos Bokelman, Andersson Dornelles and Daniel Bueno, the campaign highlights H&M’s swimwear collection for women and men brought to life through a variety of energetic and playful images.

“This year’s campaign continues to reinforce H&M’s commitment to offering stylish, high-quality designs at prices that make fashion affordable,” said Jennifer Uglialoro, U.S. public relations manager for H&M. “And by using several models we are able to show shoppers the wide range of styles, patterns and options available in this year’s swimwear collection.”

Photographed on Ipanema beach by Enrique Badulescu, the new campaign will be shown in all 18 countries where H&M has retail locations. In the U.S., print ads will appear in the June/July issues of Instyle, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Jane, Marie Claire, Lucky, Elle, Latina, Essence, Seventeen, Cosmogirl, YM, Teen People, Teen Vogue and in the May issues of metro media outlets such as Time Out New York, The Improper Bostonian, Boston Phoenix, Chicago Social and Chicago Magazine among others. Outdoor advertising will include billboards in Chicago and the New York metro area in a variety of high-traffic areas. H&M’s Web site (www.hm.com) will heavily promote the campaign as well.

In-store, the campaign will be on display beginning Friday, May 14 and will feature a variety of supporting elements such as ever-changing displays, shopping bags showcasing images from the campaign and free giveaways (while supplies last) such as key chains. Additionally, for the first time in the US, select H&M stores will offer customers a free 32-page glossy magazine featuring images from its 2004 swimwear and summer collections.

Created by H&M’s in-house designers, this year’s swimwear collection gives shoppers a wide range of options to choose from including nautical looks in bright solid colors; palm tree, hibiscus and Hawaiian flower prints and fruity sorbet and cool ice-cream colors of the 80s Miami look. For women, two-piece options range from snug-fitting hot pants and string tie bikini bottoms to halter and triangle tops. Plus, tops and bottoms are sold separately so you can easily mix and match colors, patterns and sizes. Accessories include sunhats, beach bags, flip-flops, sunglasses and more.

H&M is Europe's leading fashion retailer offering fashion and quality at the best price for women, men, children as well as a line of maternity and plus-size clothing. Marketing its own brand of clothing with a team of 95 in-house designers, H&M stores receives daily deliveries of new fashion styles and sells more than 500 million garments a year. H&M opened its first store in Sweden in 1947 and expanded with the first U.S. store on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 2000. Today, H&M has 68 U.S. stores and globally more than 900 stores in 18 countries. H&M has 39,000 employees all working to the same philosophy: to provide fashion and quality at the best price. To visit H&M's web site please go to <http://www.hm.com>. There you can also download press pictures.

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*Images from the campaign are available upon request*
Contact: Tara McNally
(212) 645-6900, ext. 115
tara@jerichopr.com