• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 25, 2023

H&M is so pumped to show off its new fitness apparel that it’s turning a Brooklyn store into a gym offering free workout classes for the next month.

H&M calls the Move studio a “tactile and kinetic playground,” offering small dance, yoga and Pilates classes taught by local fitness gurus.

The retailer is using out-of-home, TikTok, push notifications, SMS email and organic social to let neighborhood fans know about the classes, says Linda Li, head of customer activation and marketing. There are additional benefits for members of its loyalty program, who can access a wellness guide and a HIIT class.

In an email to Marketing Daily, she explains that the studio’s soothing chromotherapy lighting is meant to appeal to its Gen Z fans.

“It’s a big trend for Gen Z to try and improve their mood with light therapy. It allowed us to elevate the expected studio experience and make it feel like you were working out in a piece of art.”

It also lets people check out the fifth drop of the H&M Move line, which debuted last summer. (The ongoing ad campaign for the collection stars Jane Fonda.) At launch, the company described the athleticwear, available at H&M’s typically low prices, as a step toward democratizing fitness.

H&M hopes the free classes add to that mission.

“The studio allows everybody in the community to join us to move and spread the word on our amazing local partners,” Li says.

This is the second experimental effort in the space -- set in trendy Williamsburg. Recently it reimagined its holiday marketing campaign into “Brasserie Hennes,” inspired by a wintery French brasserie. The café showcased fashion from the holiday collection and a curated market filled with seasonal goods from Williamsburg merchants.