Do you know you know an average person sees between 280 and 310 advertisements per day? Every day, we are exposed to a variety of advertisements, including those broadcast on television or radio, painted on billboards along highways, printed ads in newspapers or magazines, and now in the age present age of the internet - digital online ads on social media channels and search engines. Everywhere you look, there is an Ad.
From its very beginning with the emergence of the printing press in the 1490s to the first TV ad in the 1940s and later discovery of the world wide web and rise of social media, the advertisements have remained a constant marketing instrument for business outfits. They are mostly used to create brand awareness, attract customers, and boost sales or ROI. Furthermore, they play an important role in the economy. Advertising has been central to the marketing strategy of nearly all popular brands from Coca-Cola to Facebook.
In today’s age, they are fundamental to the success of any business, and the fitness industry is no exception to it. In the gym industry, fitness ads can help bring in leads and create brand awareness. They can help you boost your revenue and increase gym membership sales. In this article, we will explore why gym ads are worth the investment, positive and negative fitness advertisements and things you need to be careful about while creating them. We've also compiled a collection of examples of some unique and innovative fitness advertisements for you to get inspired from and kick start your fitness brand’s ad campaign!
Skip ahead to :
- Why Should You Use Fitness Ads?
- Examples of the Best Gym Ads
- Body Positivity and Positive Fitness Advertisements
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Why Should You Use Fitness Ads?
The fitness industry in the United States is estimated at nearly 30 billion dollars. There are more than 41,370 health and fitness clubs nationwide employing more than 70,000 people. Studies have shown that the fitness and health club industry continues to increase in popularity. Even from a revenue point of view the fitness and health industries are growing at a rate of 8.7% per year.
The American struggle against obesity and lifestyle disorders is not new and in recent years educational and marketing seem to be paying off, as of today nearly 30% of Americans are registered with a gym or fitness club. Though the fitness industry is supported by a large number of US population willing to invest their time and money in a healthy lifestyle, one cannot deny immense competition within the industry.
The country is home to a few of the world’s largest fitness chains in terms of revenue, customer number, and employees. And industry at times seems to be dominated by these select-few fitness chains with huge brand value and immense resources and influence at their disposal. Many times, smaller or new fitness businesses find it difficult to reach new customers and sustain their business. They find it tough to make an impression in the market and get lost in the crowd of literally more than 40,000 fitness clubs. This is where gym ads comes into the picture. A well-crafted and executed advertising campaign can help you brand or rebrand your fitness franchise, it can help you reach potential customers and get your voice heard in world gym industry.
An effective gym ad can help you acquire new members. Advertising can be your instrument for motivating and inspiring new members to join your gym. The task is to create an fitness ad that stands out from the competition, captures attention, and resonates with viewers.
Here are a few 7 interesting and unique examples of fitness ads to inspire you as consider your gym or fitness center’s next advertising campaign.
Examples of the Best Gym Ads
If you are searching for the most effective and very best fitness ads? Then you've come to the right place! We skimmed through the internet to bring you the most interesting and popular gym ad campaigns worldwide.
01. Equinox’s ‘Made Me Do It’
Equinox Group is an American fitness company that operates several lifestyle brands including Precision Run, PURE Yoga, Blink Fitness, and SoulCycle. Equinox has branded itself as one of the top luxury gyms in the world.
In January 2017, it came out with its provocative and powerful gym ad campaign called, ‘Equinox Made Me Do It’ which comprised a series of seven images shot by world-renowned fashion photographer Robert Wyatt. According to the fitness chain, the idea behind the bold fitness ad campaign is to make a statement that lowered inhibitions and playful naughtiness are the side effects of living a more provoked life which their gym chain helps their customers achieve. The campaigns emphasized unfettered confidence and reduced inhibitions as benefits of a solid workout. The gym ad campaign showcased the wonderful, unapologetic aftermath of an Equinox workout - pushing limits and breaking preconceived assumptions. This was a powerful statement from the fitness enterprise.
One-shot featured a woman with a freshly shaven head, razor in hand. Another image captured a man in women's clothes, staring proudly into the camera, and another depicted a woman with a large parachute trailing behind her. The moments captured to convey the confidence and empowerment associated with adventure and risk-taking. The campaign was impressionable and catchy. The Equinox’s gym ad campaign was persuasive and unique with a strong tone of voice.
02. Powerhouse’s Body Builder Advertisements
Powerhouse Gym is a premiere gym chain with more than 200 fitness centers around the world. The Powerhouse Gym name and brand has been one of the top leaders in the fitness industry for over 46 years. The chain claims itself to be one of the ‘most powerful’ fitness chains in the world.
Powerhouse Gym came out with a series of creative and positive fitness advertisements where they used huge posters of bodybuilders in action. The posters were placed near city construction works so it looked like the bodybuilders are pulling up real cranes and pushing up building walls. In one of the setup, the posters were placed on trash trucks so it looked as if the bodybuilder was doing “leg press” with the truck’s back door. According to the Powerhouse ad manager, the entire ad campaign was oriented around construction sites to give it a sense of interaction with everyday elements in the public eye.
The ad campaign was also a remarkable example of guerrilla advertising. In any advertising campaign - aesthetics, emotion, marketing positioning, message, and humor all play a significant role. Powerhouse’s gym ads were successful in striking a balance between these factors while also factoring in their branding and tone of voice. ‘The most powerful gym’ in the world was triumphant in conveying their message
03. Adidas’ ‘Nothing Is Impossible’
Adidas is a German multinational corporation headquartered in Germany that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing, and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe and the second-largest in the world. The company is known for coming out with interesting and innovative fitness ad campaigns from time to time.
Adidas ‘Impossible is Nothing’ gym ad **featured a variety of athletes and other highly acclaimed persons from all around the world, demonstrating their journeys to greatness. What distinguished the campaign as a whole was its inclusivity of people from different sports, genders, ethnicities, and nationalities? Adidas hit the mark from an inclusive marketing standpoint. The importance of representation in fitness advertisement marketing cannot be overstated. According to Adidas’ press release talking about the campaign, the company noted that inclusion is one of their three strategic focus areas, as they work on “uniting and including all people in sport.”
Most often, customers want to see themselves or someone they desire to be reflected in the ads your company produces. When your clients see themselves in your brand, it permits them to take the next step. And they are likely to buy the product or subscribe to the service. Inclusivity is important and in this highly globalized market, internationality is the key, featuring people who are a reflection of the customers you want to serve can help you establish a connection with your potential clients. Adidas’ gym ad campaign is remarkable not only from a marketing point of view but also from a social viewpoint in an increasingly divided world.
04. Fitbit’s ‘What’s Strong with You?'
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Fitbit is an American consumer electronics and fitness company. It produces wireless-enabled wearable technology physical fitness monitors such as smartwatches, pedometers, and monitors for heart rate, quality of sleep, and stairs climbed as well as related software.
As a part of its new “What’s Strong with you?” campaign, fitness brand Fitbit released a series of ads emphasizing the message that strength isn't only physical, but also mental and emotional, to inspire viewers to re-evaluate wellbeing through a holistic lens. The gym ad showcased individuals overcoming personal challenges to achieve their fitness goals. In an interview with Adweek, Fitbit ambassador Sarah Herron underlined the importance of knowing that wellness is a multifaceted concept. She added that the campaign focused on the importance of mental health and the part it plays in overall health.
The company launched the hashtag #WhatsStrongWithYou on social platforms along with the advertisement. It also asked consumers to share their journeys of finding their inner strength. Overall, the gym ad presented a fabulous example of conviction and truthfulness. It was successful in conveying its message and connecting to the audience.
05. Crunch Fitness’ ‘I Bet I Can’
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Founded by Doug Levine in 1989, Crunch Fitness is a chain of over 300 franchised fitness clubs located in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The popular fitness chain which proudly calls itself, ‘The Original No- Judgement Gym’ launched its ‘I Bet I Can’ gym ad campaign, created by Strawberry Frog.
The fitness ad campaign aimed to demonstrate how much fun it is to work out at a Crunch Gym while maintaining the 'No Judgments' principle. When asked about the intention behind the ad, the company’s ad manager said, “Through these advertisements, we want to show everyone that exercising doesn't have to be a chore."
While producing a fitness advertisement, one must inspire, but not alienate; you must be aspirational while yet being quite relatable. Crunch fitness lifts its business to a new level with this humorous ad.
06. Technogym’s 'Moving to a Better World'
Technogym is a company selling equipment and digital technologies for fitness, sport, and health-based in Italy. The company which has been having been Official Supplier to eight Olympic Games including the Tokyo 2020 games came up with its “Let’s Move For a Better World” campaign where the gym owner could donate the physical activity performed in his facility to a social cause.
To measure the physical activity performed, the company came out with a new way to measure movement called MOVE. The ad campaign aimed at providing everyone the same chance and opportunity to engage in fitness activities, irrespective of age, sex, and level of physical ability was an immediate success. The company also celebrated Let’s Move for a Better World Day, on which it streamed live workouts from master trainers on its social media channels to engage and connect to customers.
Their fitness ad campaign illustrated how for ad campaigns to succeed, advertisers must understand the aims, unique issues, and aspirations of the target population. This in-depth audience analysis will ensure that promotions do not fall short of expectations or fail to connect in any other way.
07. Anytime Fitness’ ‘Human’
Anytime Fitness is a franchise of 24-hour health and fitness clubs headquartered in the United States. The company operates over 4,000 franchised locations in 50 countries. In 2020, the fitness chain launched its Human’ ad putting the spotlight on employees, members, and club owners. The campaign celebrated the human and acknowledges changing consumer behavior, encouraging Australian consumers to return to the gym.
According to Emily Thompson, the CMO of Anytime Fitness parent company, the campaign was about celebrating the diversity, expertise, and community spirit the fitness brand strives to embody. It’s also a big call for consumers to get back into the gym and help the industry recover from the significant impact of COVID-19 pandemic closures over the last three months.
The campaign invoked empathy and kindness from the consumers and brought an empathetic approach to their marketing. It was a brilliant example of simple yet impactful marketing encompassing the human element without sounding too mechanical or commercial. No doubt, this gym ad strategy was a huge success.
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Body Positivity and Positive Fitness Advertisements
Health and fitness come in all shapes and sizes but oftentimes fitness ads focus and highlight just one type of body shape. Despite the evolution of the body-positive movement, health and fitness commercials do not seem to have changed much. Most often they show fit individuals exercising out in exquisite settings. Sometimes, might be just what we need for inspiration and motivation, but they can also set unreachable goals for the majority of people. Such ads can promote body negativity and are textbook example of bad advertising.
Many times, people end up feeling alienated and demoralized. Hence while planning your fitness advertisement campaign, it’s important to be inclusive and body-positive in your approach. Make sure you don’t end up producing a negative fitness advertisement. The notion that fit or slim means healthy needs to change. A healthy body doesn't look the same for everyone (and it rarely includes a six-pack). Your gym is a place where everyone belongs—regardless of body shape or size. It’s important to reflect this in your ads. Here we have brought an interesting case study of an ad campaign executed by one such fitness chain which has been extremely successful.
Blink Fitness’ ‘Casting Call’: A Case Study
The best body is your body! Around the world, people of all ages are facing challenges related to body image and mental health. Many times the unrealistic and too good to be true fitness ads add up to their anxiety. Most fitness chains seem too oblivious to this fact but one fitness chain-Blink Fitness seems to have taken it seriously and has strived to do things differently for the past few years. Blink is a sister brand to Equinox which offers an affordable gym membership with tons of gym equipment and certified personal training programs.
In 2016, Blink gave a ‘Casting Call’ to people around America to be featured in their next fitness advertisements. It asked its members to post an Instagram flaunting their confidence and explaining why they should be chosen. They narrowed the 2,000 submissions down to 50 semi-finalists and had them audition in front of a star-studded panel; actress Dascha Polanco and former NFL punter Steve Weatherford. In the end, they picked 16 people who embodied the various shapes, sizes, and fitness abilities of the members of Blink. This was an amazing way of promoting body positivity and inclusivity.
Then in 2017, Blink's health and fitness advertisements didn't feature toned, perfect fitness models or pro athletes, but regular members of their gym. The "Every Body Happy" marketing campaign featured real people with real bodies of all shapes and sizes. It was yet another positive step. For customers, it is encouraging as well relatable to see normal humans in fitness ads, instead of people who dedicate their entire lives to exercise.
And most people agree with that. According to a study commissioned by Blink, roughly 4 out of 5 Americans say their relationship with their body could be improved, and almost two-thirds say that it's discouraging to work towards unrealistic body images they see in the media. That is the reason they focussed on this ‘regularity’ in their positive fitness advertiement campaign accompanied with taglines like "The best body is your body," and "sexy is a state of mind, not a shape of the body.
In the end, with such a competitive market, fitness brands must do so much more. They need to employ new advertising tactics to appeal to the masses and engage customers. Fitness advertisements are most effective when they target a person's personality while also promoting a social or cultural cause.
Advertisers must employ creative and memorable marketing methods to pique viewers' interest. Fitness marketing is a difficult task. So, before you begin, make sure you give yourself adequate time to plan and generate ideas.
If you own a fitness club or gym, its time for you to switch your business to Bookee app. Bookee is the best fitness management software laced with industry best features and everything your fitness business might need.
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