When H&M hired a “plus-size” model to show off the range of sizes for its beachwear, the ad campaign caused much discussion , enough that Runk decided to write a moving essay for BBC about the shoot. 

TEXT BY JENNIE RUNK

” I had no idea that my H&M beachwear campaign would receive so much publicity. I’m the quiet type who reads books, plays video games, and might be a little too obsessed with her cat.

So, suddenly having a large amount of publicity was an awkward surprise at first. I found it strange that people made such a fuss about how my body looks in a bikini, since I don’t usually give it much thought.

When my Facebook fan page gained about 2,000 new likes in 24 hours, I decided to use the attention as an opportunity to make the world a little nicer by promoting confidence. I’ve since…