Stein Mart Re-Enlists Fry Hammond to Return Focus to Real Shoppers

Retailer and Orlando-Based Advertising Agency Set to Launch National Campaign.

Orlando, FL, March 14, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Fry Hammond Barr has once again been named the advertising agency of record for Stein Mart. On March 16, the Orlando-based firm is launching a national multi-media campaign in which real women and Stein Mart shoppers converse about how to stay fashionable during tough economic times.

Stein Mart and Fry Hammond Barr have used the spontaneous interview technique successfully before -- casting television advertisements from the upscale discount store’s loyal customer base and filming their Stein Mart stories and unscripted reactions to fashion trends and merchandise. The original campaign featuring actual Stein Mart shoppers aired from 2003 to 2007.

“Stein Mart has an amazing relationship with its customers – unlike anything we’ve seen in this business,” said Tim Fisher, senior vice president and executive creative director of Fry Hammond Barr. “They’re sincere about wanting to share this hidden shopping treasure they’ve found and that comes through in the spots. We enjoyed a very successful partnership with Stein Mart and are excited to be working with them again.”

For the new campaign, Fry Hammond Barr and Stein Mart held casting calls in Orlando and Tampa, Fla. and found six women who perfectly exemplified and communicated Stein Mart’s slogan of “once you go, you get it.” In one unscripted segment, a shopper even mentions First Lady Michelle Obama as a value-conscious role model in keeping with Stein Mart’s high-value, high-fashion niche. To see the latest Stein Mart television advertisements, please visit http://youtube.com/steinmarttv.

“It’s a very different shopping environment out there right now, so it’s refreshing to see how these women truly value what we’re able to offer them. Value is the new fashion chic,” says Stein Mart chairman Jay Stein. “The Stein Mart brand was built by our customers sharing their experiences at our stores with their friends and families. The big job now is to reach out and attract more of those customers.”

About Stein Mart, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMRT):
Stein Mart stores offer fashion merchandise, service and presentation of a better department or specialty store, at prices up to 60% off department store prices every day. Currently with locations from California to Massachusetts, Stein Mart’s focused assortment of merchandise features moderate to better fashion apparel for women and men, as well as accessories, gifts, linens and shoes. From a single store in Mississippi in the early 1900’s, Stein Mart has expanded to nearly 280 stores in 31 states. The current chairman, Jay Stein, is the grandson of the founder, Sam Stein. For more information on Stein Mart or to find your nearest location, please visit www.steinmart.com.

About Fry Hammond Barr
Fry Hammond Barr, best known for its results oriented communications programs, represents many retail and consumer brands including St. John's Water Management District, Bright House Networks, Nemours, Stein Mart, Eola Capital, Florida’s Blood Centers, The Peabody Orlando and Moffitt Cancer Center. As a full-service agency with offices in Orlando and Tampa Bay, Fry Hammond Barr offers a wide range of services including advertising, public relations, interactive and marketing communications consulting. The agency was founded in 1957 and currently employs a team of more than 70 professionals. In 2008, the agency’s billings were more than $70 million.

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