H&M is taking on sportswear giants such as Nike and adidas with its new move. The retailer has teamed up with international tennis player Tomas Berdych, who is ranked 6th in the world, to “mark a new chapter in the relationship between sport and fashion.” The global sports star will wear the clothes of the brand on and off the court and will also work in a tie-up with the H&M design team, developing a unique tennis collection, which is to arrive in stores later this year.

H&M unites UK footballer David Beckham and UK film director Guy Ritchie under one project. The retailer tapped the celebrated director to shoot an ad for H&M’s upcoming David Beckham Bodywear collection, which is set to be released on February 6 internationally, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The new advertising piece, which will be more like a short movie, will feature the England football star demonstrating the pieces from the new collection in action, literally.

H&M is launching two new campaigns to promote underwear Christmas collections, one featuring the world’s hottest and most stylish footballer David Beckham, and the other fronted by celebrated actress and model Laetitia Casta. The retailer also unveils behind-the-scenes video from David’s photo shoot, which is as stunning as the images from the campaign.

Celebrated director Jonas Åkerlund, who collaborated with such brands as Stoli, Dior and Martini to name but a few, has created a movie for H&M. The Swedish apparel retailer focuses on style and exquisiteness in a new 5:45 film starring actor Joel Kinnaman, promoting the Fall/Winter 2012 collection for men. The brand tells a story of a guy, who is riding in a cab along rainy night streets of London and sees many interpretations of himself (even on banknotes and graffiti murals) everywhere in different apparel.

Togetherness is high on both the cultural and commercial agenda as businesses and brands come together to ‘partner’ the Olympic Games. Just how these partnerships will play out come the middle of August is anybody’s guess. But if profile has been raised and sales figures have increased then this association has served its purpose. Short-term partnerships are popular branding exercises to create excitement and exposure. But ultimately so is building long-term value and finding the right brand fit to maximise this is not always easy.

H&M has teamed up with another fashion personality for the new collection. The retailer, which has been collaborating with major fashion brands and designers, has tapped fashion icon and legendary Fashion Director Anna Dello Russo, who has created an over-the-top accessories collection. The new line, which includes a range of accessories mirroring Anna’s extravagant and flamboyant style, is expected to hit the stores on October 4, 2012 at 140 retailer’s stores around the globe.  

H&M is continuing its philanthropic initiative ‘Fashion Against AIDS,’ launched back in 2008, which a new extension. This time the retailer is calling people from all around the globe to contribute to the cause by… kissing, which is probably the most pleasurable way to get involved. H&M is inviting to visit the www.fashionagainstaids.com digital hub and upload a picture of your kiss—for every entry, H&M will donate $1 to HIV/AIDS prevention. At the moment, there are already over 14,000 images from 109 counties uploaded, so the hub has already helped to generate over $14,000—the sky is the limit.