The Gym Group, the UK’s lowest cost 24/7 gym with more than 233 locations, is on a mission to break down barriers to fitness for everyone in the country.
January is arguably the most critical (and crowded) time in the health and fitness calendar, and after appointing DEPT® as its lead creative agency, our first task was to develop a through-the-line advertising campaign that would make an impact.
You’re closer than you think
Keeping costs low is one way to democratize fitness, but when it comes to getting real value out of a membership, people need to believe that they’ll get there, and often.
Helpfully, more than 50% of UK adults are within a 15-minute drive of a Gym Group; a stat that quickly became the cornerstone of our campaign.
We leveraged this to highlight how convenient locations, paired with great quality equipment at accessible prices, make it easier for our audience to kick off the year with a new workout routine and achieve their fitness goals.
“There’s a Gym Group round the corner”
We developed a hyper-local campaign strategy with a single-minded message: “There’s a Gym Group round the corner.”
Knowing how proximity plays a crucial role in achieving fitness goals, the campaign highlights how The Gym Group breaks down barriers to exercising and gives people a great value fitness experience.
Bad day? There’s a gym group round the corner.
Great day? There’s a gym group round the corner.
By reinforcing the idea that a Gym Group is always nearby, the campaign aims to resonate with potential members on a personal level, promoting a sense of convenience and community.
The launch was strategically timed to coincide with moments when individuals are most primed for change, and doubled down on showing how they may be closer to their goals than they think.
“January comes with its fair share of problems and so many brands are looking to be the solution. Well, this is one of those wonderful times you discover you’ve been sitting on what your audience wants all along. Good quality, low cost and extremely close by – so it makes sense to just say it over and over and over again.“
Bel Moretti, Creative Director, DEPT®
The power of absence
Sometimes the best way to prove the value of something is to show what happens in its absence.
So to drive home the message of convenience, we developed a creative concept that explored the challenges people face without easy access to the gym.
The campaign was brought to life by showcasing the various creative, yet challenging, ways people try to incorporate exercise into their routines.
Dramatic home workouts, runs in bad weather, living room lunges, makeshift equipment like bags of rice or tins of beans, taking the stairs on the tube… with one clear solution – the better way to achieve your January fitness goals is at ‘the Gym Group round the corner.’
The campaign’s reach and impact were maximized through a comprehensive through-the-line strategy, spanning various channels including CTV, social, branding, OOH, DoorDrop and audio.
Upon launch, it was recognized as Ad of the Day in The Drum as well as featured in Campaign, Little Black Book and Creativebrief.
“This hyper-local campaign is all about demonstrating how we break down barriers to fitness and offer exactly what people care about when it comes to choosing a great value, high quality, and conveniently located gym. It’s brilliant to work with the team at DEPT® on this exciting new campaign, supporting us at this most important time of year in the fitness calendar!“
Amy Binns, Head of Marketing Communication, The Gym Group
Questions?
Creative Director
Bel Moretti
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