EXPRESS & GQ Launch Back-to-Business 2.0 Campaign

NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Iconic American retailer, EXPRESS, Inc. (NYSE: EXPR) and leading men's magazine, GQ, are thrilled to announce the second iteration of the GQ Back-to-Business campaign. Back-to-Business 2.0 will feature four entrepreneurs who will help educate the GQ audience and EXPRESS customer on how to dress for success through a custom advertising program in GQ's September issue, on newsstands nationwide August 26, 2014.

The first execution appeared in the April 2014 issue of GQ and profiled Josh Kaplan and his business partners, Justin Belmont and Marc Lombardo, Columbia MBA graduates and co-founders of Perk.La, a members-only student discount website. The collaboration proved to be a successful stepping-stone for Perk.La as they secured a spot in the Columbia Startup Lab.

Fans will have the opportunity to text to vote for the next Back-to-Business entrepreneur and enter for a chance to win a trip to New York City for a behind-the-scenes look at the GQ Headquarters and a $1,000 EXPRESS shopping spree.* The winning Back-to-Business entrepreneur will win a grant from EXPRESS to grow his business further. Voting closes on October 4, 2014.

THE ENTREPRENEURS:

BASTIAAN JANMAAT, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, DATAFOX.CO

Born in Japan, raised in Singapore, and a university student in Hong Kong (and three different European countries), this upstart is about as international as they come. His online platform, DataFox, tracks and scores more than 400,000 tech companies, then ranks them by means of an algorithm. Janmaat's hope is that it will make for better-informed investors and analysts.

VOTE FOR BASTIAAN BY TEXTING 'BAS' TO EXPRES (397737)

MIKE HROSTOSKI, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, HROSTOSKI.COM

Hrostoski had embarked on a promising career in HR before his life took a U-turn. His mother died; he realized life was short, sold everything he owned, and spent a year traveling around the U.S. doing volunteer work and fully experiencing life. Now he's got an MBA and a new role as The Men's Coach, helping high-performing men achieve self-fulfillment.

VOTE FOR MIKE BY TEXTING 'MIKE' TO EXPRES (397737)

NICK TARANTO, DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, PLATED.COM

As cofounder and co-CEO of Plated, this former U.S. Marine is helping redefine the way people—especially busy people—eat. Order online and his company will deliver measured, carefully prepared ingredients for a gourmet meal to your door. The customer does the fun parts (cooking and eating), and the chef-designed recipes take less than 30 minutes to make.

VOTE FOR NICK BY TEXTING 'NICK' TO EXPRES (397737)

JEFF MROZ, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, VROULIFE.COM

Performance-oriented nutrition has always been key for Mroz, a former pro football player and Yale quarterback. After securing his MBA, the Pittsburgh native worked with a former pro women's soccer player to create a new health brand, VROU. Its first product is a drinkable source of the most essential vitamins, electrolytes, antioxidants, and calcium.

VOTE FOR JEFF BY TEXTING 'JEFF' TO EXPRES (397737)

To hear more about their stories and watch their videos, visit express.com. Get in on the action by following #BACK2BUSINESS on Instagram (@ExpressRunway), Twitter (@ExpressLife) and Facebook (EXPRESS).

ABOUT EXPRESS, INC.:

EXPRESS is a specialty apparel and accessories retailer of women's and men's merchandise, targeting the 20 to 30 year old customer. The Company has over 30 years of experience offering a distinct combination of fashion and quality for multiple lifestyle occasions at an attractive value addressing fashion needs across work, casual, jeanswear, and going-out occasions. The Company currently operates more than 600 retail and factory outlet stores, located primarily in high-traffic shopping malls, lifestyle centers, and street locations across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.  EXPRESS merchandise is also available at franchise stores in the Middle East and Latin America. The Company also markets and sells its products through the Company's e-commerce website, www.express.com.

ABOUT GQ:

GQ is the leading men's general-interest magazine, with a monthly readership of 7 million readers. It is available in print, online at GQ.com, and as an app at iTunes.com. The magazine is published by Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications. Condé Nast operates in twenty-five countries and is the world leader in exceptional content creation.

*DISCLAIMER: BY TEXTING YOU AGREE TO RECEIVE 6 AUTODIALED MESSAGES/MONTH. MESSAGE & DATA RATES MAY APPLY. CONSENT NOT REQUIRED TO PURCHASE. TEXT HELP FOR HELP, OR STOP TO STOP.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. SWEEPSTAKES BEGINS AT 12:01 AM ON AUGUST 19, 2014 AND ENDS AT 11:59 PM ON OCTOBER 4, 2014. OPEN TO LEGAL U.S. RESIDENTS 18+, EXCEPT EMPLOYEES OF SPONSOR, THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILIES, AND THOSE LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. TEXT & DATA CHARGES MAY APPLY. FREE METHOD OF ENTRY, TEXT MESSAGE & TERMS, SEE OFFICIAL RULES: EXPRESS.COM/BACK2BUSINESS.

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SOURCE EXPRESS