H&M has launched a new brand, H&M Move. Yes, it’s an activewear brand but in ad terms, it’s “a bold mission to democratise sportswear and get the whole world and everybody moving, however they move.”
H&M Move has distanced itself from traditional sports by calling its ranges movewear, “celebrating the fact that everyone on the planet is already a Mover, moving in a multitude of ways”. And it has recruited Jane Fonda, heroine of the aerobics craze in the’80s, and JaQuel Knight, choreographer to the stars (such as Beyoncé, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion) for its first campaign, Movers.
It’s not the most creative campaign. Nor the most finessed. Making movement accessible to all seems to be reflected in the execution of the films.
“I’ve spent a lot of my own life getting people to move and was naturally drawn to the mission of H&M Move to get the whole world moving, I also really liked their philosophy of ‘movewear’ over ‘sportswear.’ To me, it’s not about sports or being the most athletic. It’s about giving your body the kind of movement it needs to stay healthy so it can take care of you, Fonda stated in the H&M blog.
Collaborating with H&M Move felt like a great opportunity to further my personal mission to break down the barriers to movement and get the world moving and dancing. Together, we’re creating a new precedent when it comes to sport and showing that there’s no subscription needed to move,” Knight added.
The new brand is made of two ranges, Move Essentials, which includes tops, lightweight jackets, tights and bras as well as wear designed for training and running; and H&M Move Monogram, with the usual “designer” logo and pattern features.
In a Uniqlo-like move, the range combines designs and technologies, made of four functional materials, DryMove, ShapeMove, SoftMove and StormMove. The new brand also upholds H&M’s commitment to sourcing sustainable fabrics and achieving its goal of using 100% recycled or more sustainably sourced materials by 2030. H&M Move is made with between 85% and 99% sustainably sourced materials. The brand is also planning to launch collaborations with sustainable fabric maker, Fairbrics, and carbon recycling tech company, LanzaTech, next year.
